Cannabis (drug)

Massachusetts voters decided nine statewide ballot questions in the 2026 midterm election, covering public records, labor rights, elections, taxes, land use, and public safety. Question 1 would expand the state's Public Records Law to cover most legislative and gubernatorial records. Question 2 would grant collective bargaining rights to Committee for Public Counsel Services employees. Questions 3 and 4 address primary election structure and Election Day voter registration, respectively. Question 5 would cap state revenue growth with taxpayer rebates, while Question 6 creates a conservation fund from sporting goods and recreational taxes. Question 7 eases single-family home construction rules, Question 8 would repeal retail recreational marijuana sales, and Question 9 is a referendum on the state's 2024 gun law.

In Petersburg, Alaska, retired teacher Dan J. Sullivan's campaign against Sen. Dan S. Sullivan, once dismissed as a prank dubbed "Decoy Dan," has become a federal investigation. FBI agents have visited and interviewed about a dozen local donors who gave roughly $7,150 combined, asking whether they felt deceived and whether they meant to donate to the incumbent instead. Dan J. Sullivan has not been seen publicly for weeks, and reporters have been unable to reach him. The Trump administration is weighing "ballot stacking" charges, and a Justice Department lawsuit seeking to block certification of the race was dismissed, then appealed. Democrat Mary Peltola denies any role after reports linked allies to decoy-candidate recruitment in the tight Senate race.

Houston voters decide Proposition A, also called the Houston Freedom Act, on November 3. The charter amendment bundles two policies into a single yes-or-no vote: making low-level marijuana possession enforcement HPD's lowest priority, and barring officers from requesting or executing no-knock search warrants, instead requiring they knock, announce and wait at least 15 seconds. Marijuana would remain illegal under state law regardless of the outcome. The no-knock provision follows renewed scrutiny after the 2019 Harding Street raid that killed two homeowners. Supporters cite resource priorities and safety; opponents question necessity and how the rules mesh with state law and neighboring jurisdictions. Voters cannot split their vote between the two provisions.

Virginia state Sen. L. Louise Lucas, 82, president pro tempore of the Senate and chair of the Finance and Appropriations Committee, was indicted and surrendered to federal custody alongside six co-defendants, including two daughters (Lisa Lucas Burke and Theresa Lucas-Lamb) and a grandson (Ryan Eichelberger), on racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, bribery, money laundering and honest-services fraud charges filed by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Virginia. Attorney General Todd Blanche and FBI Director Kash Patel allege Lucas led a "criminal marijuana enterprise" built by family and associates, paying $750,000 for control of a shell company used to obtain a state cannabis license and later receiving a bribery payment, while using her committee chairmanship to shield and benefit the operation. The case follows an FBI raid on Lucas's office in May. Lucas, a longtime cannabis-legalization advocate, denies wrongdoing, calling the case political retaliation and intimidation. Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger criticized the indictment's timing as inconsistent with Justice Department norms near elections, though the investigation originated under the Biden administration.

The Massachusetts House of Representatives unanimously passed (152-0) a $2.354 billion supplemental budget to close out fiscal year 2026. The bill includes $1.524 billion in net spending, with major allocations such as $1.03 billion net for MassHealth, $159 million for snow and ice removal, $78.9 million for unemployment insurance interest repayments, and funds for DTA caseworkers, nursing facility rates, and maternal mental health programs.

The measure also adds policy changes requiring disclosure of AI use in political ads, banning deceptive election-related communications, and limiting public funds for building officials' personal recognition. It raises the School Building Authority's grant cap and directs excess capital gains revenue to state reserve funds. The bill now moves to the Massachusetts Senate for consideration.