Though the ballot measure to ban the commercial sale of marijuana in Massachusetts failed, its defenders argue that it represents a turning point in the fight against the profit-driven marijuana industry.

Kevin Sabet, who leads Smart Approaches to Marijuana and was a driving force behind the campaign, recently wrote in the DC Journal: “The fact that this vote occurred at all in the very blue Bay State represents another historic Massachusetts shot heard round the world in the fight for real public health — even though the outcome left the state’s retail program intact.”

Sabet added, “It may have been defeated, but it is just the beginning.”

He pointed to the grassroots support for the ballot measure, which represented the first in the nation to attempt to ban the sale of legal marijuana. He said, “When the grassroots energy behind Question 8 began to manifest, an industry unaccustomed to bottom-up political pushback grew nervous,” highlighting how more than 90,000 residents in Massachusetts signed the petition to get the ballot measure approved.

He explained that residents of the Bay State were promised that legalization would come with millions in tax revenue, the sale of safe products, and the elimination of the black market. However, “the subsequent decade proved these promises to be no more than so much smoke,” which inevitably led to the backlash. Sabet also highlighted the nationwide backlash to marijuana in April in Compact.

For example, revenues associated with marijuana accounted for a mere 0.6% of the Massachusetts budget, while marijuana use and related harms steadily increased. The marijuana industry enriched itself and left voters holding the bag.

“Those uncomfortable truths are what sent over half a million to the polls to vote ‘yes’ last night,” Sabet argued.

Sabet also responded to critics who have argued that legalization and commercialization are inevitable. Though the ballot measure in Massachusetts was defeated by a wide margin, he sees it as a starting point for change. Sabet, who has been involved in drug policy activism for a few decades, reminded readers that states including Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, and California initially voted against legalization before passing it.

He believes there are reasons to be hopeful about the future of marijuana policy. Seven of the 10 most recent ballot measures to legalize recreational marijuana were rejected by voters, including in Florida, North Dakota, and Arkansas. Notably, Sabet revealed that he is actively working to advance an initiative to ban the commercial sale of marijuana in Maine, which is on track to be voted on “next year.”

Given the influence and resources of the marijuana industry, Sabet said the fight is comparable to David and Goliath, adding that “there are Davids aplenty waiting for the right opportunity.” Despite the odds, Smart Approaches to Marijuana and like-minded leaders continue to advocate for a better, safer, saner policy on marijuana.

He concluded: “Corporate marijuana will reckon with its legacy of physical and mental harm, just as the tobacco industry did before it. The Massachusetts loss was not an end to that reckoning, but a powerful beginning.”