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Massachusetts
Who is behind the $1.5M spent to abolish legal weed sales in Massachusetts?
Massachusetts voters could face a decision this November over whether to abolish legal cannabis sales in the commonwealth. And if they do, voters can look to an out-of-state group as a primary reason why.
A national interest group based outside Washington, D.C., donated all of the $1.55 million raised last year by the Massachusetts campaign committee seeking to ban marijuana sales and reverse the 2016 ballot initiative for legalization, according to campaign finance records released last week.
The group, Smart Approaches to Marijuana, or SAM, is a leader of the anti-legalization movement and an active player in cannabis ballot initiatives in other states.
SAM has opposed legalization efforts in recent years in at least Arizona, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and Ohio.
The organization had already declared its support for the 2026 ballot initiative in Massachusetts, which would repeal the state law that legalized marijuana sales in 2016 and established regulations and taxes for recreational pot.
SAM opposed President Donald Trump’s executive order in December to push forward the federal reclassification of marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
Kevin Sabet, SAM’s president and CEO, responded by announcing “multi-million dollar support” for the ballot measure campaign in Massachusetts and a similar initiative in Maine.
“You could already feel the quality of life strain across our country, as it is,” he said, explaining his opposition to the proliferation of legal marijuana. “Walk a busy corridor in virtually every major city and the influence and the smell of marijuana is inescapable.”
While attempts to legalize marijuana have failed in some states, no state has passed a law allowing marijuana sales only to later roll it back, according to MJBizDaily, a cannabis industry publication.
While the proposed ballot measure in Massachusetts would eliminate recreational marijuana sales, it would keep the state’s medical marijuana law in place. Recreational pot shops would be able to apply for licenses to become medical dispensaries.
The petition’s backers have said they are focused on eliminating recreational cannabis sales, not on targeting members of the public for simple marijuana possession.
Opponents have said the measure would prevent marijuana from being safely regulated by returning the market to the control of illegal drug organizations.
Campaign finance records show that the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, the campaign committee backing the ballot question, spent more than 92% of the $1.55 million it received from SAM last year.
The vast majority of its spending went toward signature gathering.
The proposal is not on the November ballot just yet. Its backers gathered more than 78,000 signatures, enough to send the measure to the State Legislature for consideration. If legislators do not act on the petition by May 5, the petitioners will have two months to gather about 12,000 more signatures and land the measure on the ballot.
Opponents of the ballot question had disputed the authenticity of the signatures. In a challenge filed earlier this month, they accused signature gatherers of deceiving the public by obscuring the true purpose of the ballot measure as they sought support.
The Committee to Protect Cannabis Regulation, a group opposing the ballot question, said signature gatherers told voters they were advocating for a petition that would help develop affordable housing, combat fentanyl or fund public parks.
However, the State Ballot Law Commission found Thursday that the committee had not presented sufficient evidence to back its claims.
Massachusetts voters legalized recreational cannabis through a ballot referendum in 2016, which passed with 53% of the vote.
The first pot shops opened in 2018. The industry has since vastly expanded across the state. Hundreds of cannabis businesses are in operation, logging nearly $8.9 billion in cumulative sales, including a record $1.65 billion in 2025, according to state data.
Local News
The legislation would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026.
Massachusetts lawmakers are considering a measure that would allow cities and towns to temporarily extend bar and restaurant hours during the summer, as the state prepares to host FIFA World Cup matches and celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The legislation (H.5465) filed by state Rep. Carole Fiola, would allow licensed establishments to sell alcohol one hour later than their normal closing time, up to 3 a.m., between June 1 and Aug. 31, 2026. The bill would also allow communities to establish designated public consumption districts where alcohol could be consumed in approved public spaces.
In a press release announcing the bill, Fiola said the summer’s threefold events lineup — the World Cup, Tall Ships, and July 4th — is an economically significant moment that the state should take advantage of.
“We should capitalize on these events that will generate economic benefits for small businesses and the state as a whole. It’s a local opt-in idea worth exploring that’s being done in other states,” Fiola said.
The proposal has received support from Boston Mayor Michelle Wu and most recently Gov. Maura Healey, who submitted written testimony Monday to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies urging lawmakers to advance the measure.
“Massachusetts is planning for a once-in-a-generation summer,” Healey wrote, according to the Boston Globe. “In 2026, we will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our nation’s founding, welcome tall ships from around the world to Boston Harbor for Sail Boston, and host seven FIFA World Cup matches in Foxborough, along with watch parties across the Commonwealth.”
The governor argued that the added flexibility could help local economies benefit from an influx of visitors.
“That flexibility can help communities capture more visitor spending, support jobs, keep downtowns active, and strengthen Massachusetts’ image as a dynamic destination ready to host the world and a place our residents, including our young professionals, are proud to call home,” Healey wrote.
She also urged lawmakers to move the legislation forward, saying it will “help Massachusetts meet the full economic and cultural opportunities for the summer ahead.”
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Rhode Island bill proposes 24-hour bar hours during World Cup
In Rhode Island, a similar bill to allow bars and restaurants to remain open until 4 a.m. during the World Cup was signed into law on Friday.
Fiola’s bill remains before the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. Any final version would require approval from both the House and Senate before reaching Healey’s desk.
The meteor responsible for a loud boom heard in Rhode Island and Massachusetts Saturday afternoon was approximately 5 feet in diameter and weighed more than 12,000 pounds, according to NASA.
The object entered Earth’s atmosphere at roughly 42,000 mph, a NASA spokesperson said. It then traveled through the atmosphere from northwest to southeast for 26 miles before breaking up and producing a meteorite fall into Cape Cod Bay.
The energy released when the object broke up at an altitude of 31 miles is estimated to be equivalent to about 230 tons of TNT, according to NASA.
Professor Ralph Milliken of the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Brown University spoke with NBC 10’s Mike Cerullo. (WJAR)
While it’s not very common to experience a 5-foot-wide meteorite, there is a significant amount of debris from space that reaches Earth.
“The estimates are that we probably have about 5,000 tons of cosmic dust and material and meteorites landing on Earth. The vast majority of that is super tiny stuff, we’re talking things that are smaller than a grain of sand, or the thickness of a human hair,” said Professor Ralph Milliken of the Department of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Brown University. “For something of this size a few feet across, it’s not that common, but a few a year. Most of these would occur over uninhabited areas, over the ocean, and we wouldn’t be able to see them, but they are detected.”
Because of its size, a meteorite with a 5-foot diameter is difficult to track before it enter Earth’s atmosphere.
“It’s virtually impossible to kind of know in advance of this size object coming,” Milliken said.
The area where a meteorite crashed in Cape Cod Bay. (WJAR)
Scientists are, however, able to track much larger space objects. NASA has been developing technology to try to deflect larger objects if needed.
Events like what occurred in New England over the weekend are recorded. Although other fireballs enter Earth’s atmosphere throughout the year, many of them materialize over water and uninhabited areas.
Massachusetts
Winners’ circle: Tracking every 2026 spring high school championship – The Boston Globe
Championship season is upon us, and we’re tracking every title winner in Massachusetts this spring.
From the golf sectionals in late May to championship weekend June 11-14, a four-day stretch in which 31 titlists will be crowned across boys’ and girls’ lacrosse, boys and girls’ tennis, boys’ and girls’ rugby, boys’ volleyball, softball, and baseball, we’ll have you covered.
Find all the dates, brackets, seedings, matchups, and links to our postseason previews here.
Follow us on X @GlobeSchools, Instagram @BGlobeSchools, and Facebook to stay up to date.
Over at Globe.com/Schools you’ll find our daily scoreboard, nightly Takeaways, game coverage, videos, live streams, and our weekly Varsity News newsletter (sign up for free) to keep you in the know.
Division 1: Lexington girls, St. John’s Prep boys
Lexington girls graduate to two-time Division 1 track champions, St. John’s Prep sprints to boys’ title
Division 2: Billerica girls, North Andover boys
Billerica girls unphazed by move up to Division 2, going back-to-back as North Andover boys dominate
Division 3: Canton girls, Walpole boys
Canton girls cap greatest season with first Division 3 track title, Walpole boys win by thinnest margin
Division 4: Duxbury girls, Newburyport boys
Historic win for Duxbury girls, Mohoric paces Newburyport boys to Division 4 outdoor track championship
Division 5: North Reading girls, Weston boys
It’s four in a row for North Reading girls, two straight for Weston boys at Division 5 track championships
Division 6: Ayer Shirley girls, Abington boys
Ayer Shirley girls pick up where they left off, Abington boys twinning at Division 6 track championships
Day 1, Divisions 1, 2, and 5: Lexington boys and girls setting the pace at Division 1 track & field championships
Day 1, Divisions 3, 4, and 6: Canton girls make a strong run to first at Division 3 track championships
South: Walpole | With Tori Adams as its driving force, Walpole scores third straight MIAA South girls’ golf championship
North/Central/West: Hopkinton | Concord-Carlisle’s Sophie Redmond, Hopkinton rule MIAA girls’ golf championship for North/Central/West
With titles for Natick and Peabody and smiles for all, MIAA unified track championship ‘beyond inspiring’
Brendan Kurie can be reached at brendan.kurie@globe.com. Follow him on X @BrendanKurie.
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