Approximately 18,000 people are currently employed in Massachusetts’s cannabis industry, which has expanded significantly since recreational marijuana was legalized in the state a decade ago. The sector includes a wide range of roles, from cultivating marijuana plants and manufacturing edibles like gummies, to staffing dispensaries as sales associates and concierges.

Massachusetts now hosts roughly 650 cannabis retail locations, generating about $10 billion in sales annually and contributing over $330 million in tax revenue to the state. This burgeoning market has created numerous jobs and economic opportunities, particularly for individuals disproportionately affected by previous drug policies.

However, the future of the industry is uncertain as voters prepare to decide on Ballot Question 8 in the midterm elections this November. The measure would repeal recreational marijuana sales, effectively dismantling the current market. Proponents of the existing framework warn that passing the repeal could lead to significant job losses across the sector.

Ryan Dominguez, executive director of the Massachusetts Cannabis Coalition, expressed concern that a repeal would trigger widespread unemployment within the industry, stating that many workers would be forced to seek unemployment benefits as their positions vanish. Employees such as store managers, budtenders—the title for cannabis sales personnel—and other staff across hundreds of shops have built their livelihoods around the current legal market.

Industry representatives also emphasize the lack of alternative employment options for many workers. Megan Hansen, director of operations at Firebrand Cannabis in Boston, noted that numerous employees do not have contingency plans if the industry were to collapse, heightening worries about personal and economic stability.

The debate over Ballot Question 8 encapsulates broader tensions regarding the future of cannabis legalization in Massachusetts, weighing the economic success and social equity goals achieved over the past decade against concerns raised by opponents of the current regulatory framework. The upcoming vote will determine whether the state maintains its recreational marijuana marketplace or reverses course, with significant implications for thousands of workers and the broader economy.