Massachusetts keeps legal cannabis sales and Idaho rejects HJR 4: what the Nov. 3 results mean

Results as of 7:25 a.m. CT, Nov. 4, 2026. All results are unofficial until each state certifies them.

Voters rejected both cannabis measures on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot. Massachusetts Question 8, which would have ended retail adult-use sales in 2028, failed with about 76% voting no in early returns. Idaho's HJR 4 failed about 66% to 34%, per AP's call, so Idaho voters keep the power to propose legalization by initiative. Results are unofficial.

Key facts (as of 7:25 a.m. CT, Nov. 4) - Massachusetts Question 8: rejected. About 76% no with 48% of ballots counted, Reason reported; "roughly three-quarters" no in unofficial results, per WBUR. - Idaho HJR 4: rejected. The Associated Press called it at 11:39 p.m. CT Nov. 3, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. Unofficial count at 3:20 a.m. CT: 425,809 no (66.1%) to 218,312 yes (33.9%). - Idaho certification: the State Board of Canvassers meets Nov. 24. - Both counts can still change as ballots are tallied.

We previewed both measures before Election Day in our Oct. 24 ballot guide. Here is how they came out.

Did Massachusetts repeal legal cannabis sales?

No. Question 8 would have repealed the laws that legalize, regulate and tax retail adult-use sales starting Jan. 1, 2028, while keeping possession of 1 ounce or less legal for adults 21 and older and keeping the medical program, according to the Secretary of the Commonwealth's voter guide.

Voters turned it down by a wide margin. With 48% of ballots counted, 76% had voted no, Reason's Jacob Sullum reported late Tuesday. WBUR's results roundup said unofficial results show "roughly three-quarters" of voters opposed it. The state has not posted official returns yet.

Had it passed, Massachusetts would have been the first state to reverse course on legal adult-use sales, WBUR noted. Voters approved legalization in 2016 with 54%, according to Reason, so the No side's share this year ran more than 20 points higher.

What does the Massachusetts result change?

Nothing in current law. A no vote leaves the 2016 adult-use law and the medical program as they are, according to the voter guide. The state's fiscal statement said adult-use retail taxes raised about $280 million in state revenue and $50 million in local revenue in fiscal 2025.

Who was on each side in Massachusetts?

Most of the repeal campaign's money came from Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a Virginia-based group, WBUR reported. Supporters argued THC products carry mental health risks, especially for adolescents. Cannabis industry sources and the Retailers Association of Massachusetts gave major contributions to the No side, which argued a ban would cost jobs and tax revenue and push buyers to unregulated sellers. Gov. Maura Healey and Boston Mayor Michelle Wu opposed the measure, according to Reason. Both sides' arguments are theirs; we haven't evaluated them here.

What was Idaho's HJR 4, and why did it fail?

HJR 4 would have amended Article III, Section 26 of the Idaho Constitution so that only the legislature could legalize growing, selling, possessing or using marijuana or other psychoactive substances. In practice, it would have taken away voters' ability to legalize marijuana by ballot initiative.

The AP called the race at 10:39 p.m. Mountain time (11:39 p.m. CT) Tuesday, the Idaho Capital Sun reported. As of 2:20 a.m. Mountain time (3:20 a.m. CT) Wednesday, 425,809 voters, or 66.1%, had voted no and 218,312, or 33.9%, had voted yes. The Idaho Secretary of State's results site showed Ada County, the state's most populous, at 69.98% no with all 197 precincts reporting when we checked at about 7:20 a.m. CT.

Republican legislators who put HJR 4 on the ballot said they wanted to keep out-of-state groups from spending heavily to pass legalization, the Capital Sun reported. Reclaim Idaho's Luke Mayville called the result "a big win for ballot-initiative rights."

Is marijuana legal in Idaho now?

No. All forms of marijuana remain illegal in Idaho, the Capital Sun noted. The vote only means Idahoans keep the ability to try legalization through a future citizen initiative. The most recent effort, a 2026 medical cannabis initiative, failed to gather enough signatures to make the ballot, according to the same report. Results become official once the Idaho State Board of Canvassers certifies them; it meets Nov. 24.

For how Illinois compares with its neighbors, see our guide to cannabis laws in the states around Illinois.

Sources

• Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth, Question 8 voter information
• Idaho Secretary of State, November 2026 results: HJR 4
• Idaho Legislature, 2026 proposed constitutional amendments
• WBUR, Simón Rios, Nov. 4, 2026
• WBUR, Nik DeCosta-Klipa, results on all 9 ballot questions, Nov. 4, 2026
• Reason, Jacob Sullum, Nov. 4, 2026
• Idaho Capital Sun, Clark Corbin, Nov. 3, 2026

More state rules: see our Illinois rules tracker.

Photo: Carol M. Highsmith, Library of Congress (public domain, cropped). The Massachusetts State House in Boston. Undated file photo from Highsmith's archive (1980–2006); not taken on Election Day.

Drafted with AI assistance from primary sources. Written and edited by The Highline Report newsroom under Monsaur Othman's editorial standards. Read how we use AI, our editorial policy and our corrections policy.

For adults 21+. News and education only. General information, not legal advice. Nothing here is a health claim or an offer to sell.