AUSTIN, Texas | November 14, 2026 Voters defended legal cannabis in the Nov. 3 midterms. Massachusetts rejected a measure to shut down its adult-use market by about 3 to 1. Idaho voters rejected a constitutional amendment that would have blocked citizen initiatives on marijuana. Houston passed Proposition A. No state put legalization itself on the ballot, and the more consequential shifts happened in statehouses and Congress. All results below are unofficial until certified.
Figures come from Associated Press tallies as reported by ArentFox Schiff on Nov. 9 and Foley Hoag on Nov. 4. Percentages may move slightly before certification.
Ballot Measure Results
| Measure | What it would do | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts Question 8 | Repeal licensed adult-use production and sales | Failed, about 75.7% no |
| Idaho HJR 4 | Give the Legislature sole authority to legalize marijuana and other psychoactive substances, blocking citizen initiatives, including for medical use | Failed, about 66.2% no |
| Houston Proposition A | Make misdemeanor marijuana possession the lowest police enforcement priority and bar no-knock warrants | Passed, more than 70% yes in early returns |
Massachusetts: The First Vote on Shutting Down a Working Market
Question 8 was the first time voters anywhere were asked to dismantle an operating adult-use market, according to ArentFox Schiff. About 75.7% voted no, well above the 54% who approved legalization in 2016. Massachusetts adult-use sales reached $1.65 billion in 2025 and passed $10 billion in all-time sales on Sept. 5, 2026, with nearly 800 licensed businesses, Foley Hoag reports.
The repeal campaign’s main backer, the Coalition for Healthy Massachusetts, relied on out-of-state money. The political arm of Smart Approaches to Marijuana contributed roughly $3.73 million, according to Foley Hoag. Backers said the campaign still forced a debate over high-potency THC products, and observers expect 2027 debates in the state to turn to taxes, licensing and potency.
Idaho: Voters Keep the Door Open
Cannabis is entirely illegal in Idaho. HJR 4 would have written into the state constitution that only the Legislature could legalize marijuana or other psychoactive substances, which would have shut down citizen initiatives on the subject. About 66.2% of voters rejected it, per AP figures cited by ArentFox Schiff. Advocates who came close to qualifying a medical cannabis initiative this year have signaled a stronger push next cycle.
Houston: Prop A Passes
Houston voters approved a city charter amendment making misdemeanor marijuana possession the police department’s lowest enforcement priority and barring no-knock warrants. It does not legalize cannabis or create a licensed market. Texas has overturned similar local measures before. Our Prop A explainer covers what it changes and what the Legislature could do.
The Bigger Shift: Statehouses and Congress
| Where | What changed | What to watch in 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | Democrats expanded their House majority and, per AP projections, won the Senate 26–24 for the first time since 1993. Gov. Josh Shapiro, who supports legalization, won reelection. | A legalization bill passed the House in 2025 and stalled in the Senate. Pennsylvania is now a leading candidate for 2027. |
| Wisconsin | Democrats flipped both chambers and the governorship. Gov.-elect David Crowley has said the state must move toward full legalization. | Wisconsin could take up adult use without ever building a meaningful medical program. |
| New Hampshire | Gov. Kelly Ayotte, who opposes legalization, narrowly won reelection. Democrats won a supermajority in the House and expanded their Senate majority. | Lawmakers are discussing legalization. A veto override is theoretically possible. |
| Texas | Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who pushed a hemp THC ban, lost to Democrat Vikki Goodwin, who favors regulation. | Whether the hemp debate shifts from prohibition to regulation when the Legislature convenes Jan. 12. |
| Congress | Democrats retook both chambers. Reform supporters James Talarico of Texas and Troy Jackson of Maine won Senate seats, defeating Attorney General Ken Paxton and Sen. Susan Collins. | Which cannabis bills get hearings, including SAFE Banking. |
Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and New Hampshire details come from ArentFox Schiff’s Nov. 9 analysis. For Texas, see our election results report and Goodwin’s THC priorities.
Measures That Never Made the Ballot
Two other repeal efforts fizzled before November, according to NORML. The lead proponent of an Arizona initiative to repeal much of Proposition 207 called off the effort. Backers of a Maine repeal failed to gather enough signatures, and NORML expects them to try for the 2027 ballot.
Where Reform Goes Next
- Legislatures, not ballots. With no legalization measures on any 2026 ballot, adult-use expansion is running through statehouses. Pennsylvania and Wisconsin lead the 2027 list.
- Hemp as its own fight. Hemp-derived THC is emerging as a separate political issue, especially in Texas and ahead of the Dec. 11 federal change.
- Federal law is unchanged. Adult-use cannabis remains Schedule I. Medical operators are registering with the DEA under the April rescheduling order.
The Massachusetts margin is the headline. A 3-to-1 vote against repeal in the first test of its kind will make similar campaigns harder to fund. For Texas readers, the shifts in the lieutenant governor’s office and in Congress matter more than any single ballot measure.
Frequently Asked Questions
Did any state legalize marijuana in the 2026 midterms?
No. For the first time in more than a decade, no statewide legalization measure was on the ballot.
What was Massachusetts Question 8?
A measure to repeal licensed adult-use cannabis production and sales. About 75.7% of voters rejected it, per unofficial results.
What did Idaho HJR 4 do?
It would have let only the Legislature legalize marijuana and other psychoactive substances, blocking citizen initiatives. About 66.2% of voters rejected it.
Did Houston legalize marijuana with Prop A?
No. Prop A makes misdemeanor possession the lowest police enforcement priority and bars no-knock warrants. It does not legalize cannabis or create a market.
Which states could legalize cannabis in 2027?
Pennsylvania and Wisconsin are the leading candidates after Democrats gained control of their legislatures, according to ArentFox Schiff.
Sources
- ArentFox Schiff, Nov. 9, 2026: ballot results, legislative and congressional outcomes
- Foley Hoag, Nov. 4, 2026: Massachusetts Question 8 campaign and market figures
- NORML Election Central: Arizona and Maine repeal efforts
- Marijuana Moment, Nov. 4, 2026
- Wikimedia Commons: lead photo by Daderot, CC0
