Will Luzier, the Massachusetts political director for the Marijuana Policy Project, said many of the arguments against marijuana commercialization have been based on fears caused by 80 years of prohibitionist propaganda.

“Once communities see that this commerce is not evil, more communities will be accepting of it, and more communities will be accepting of the revenue that it generates,” he said.

Kamani Jefferson, president of the Massachusetts Recreational Consumer Council, said these fears are based on a lack of understanding about the cannabis plant. Jefferson said the only way to combat such internalized fear is through education and reminding cannabis opponents that illegal marijuana is already widely available and used.