Cannabis business owners and elected officials are sounding the alarm about a ballot measure that stands to make the legal cannabis market go up in flames.

The big picture: The proposal to repeal cannabis has grown from what some dismissed as a pipe dream to a threat to legal, adult-use cannabis across the country, opponents say.

• The Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts, the campaign behind the ballot question, sees repealing adult-use cannabis sales as the way to prevent children from getting their hands on THC gummies and reduce drugged driving.

Catch up quick: The proposal called "An Act to Restore A Sensible Marijuana Policy," has become a bellwether test over legal cannabis after similar ballot questions in other states fell off.

• The Massachusetts campaign has survived accusations of misleading voters and a legal challenge that failed last week with the Supreme Judicial Court letting the ballot measure proceed.

The latest: A coalition of cannabis business owners, advocates and elected officials are launching a "Stop the Repeal" campaign Thursday against the ballot question.

How it works: The ballot question would bring Massachusetts back to an era where only medical cannabis and medical dispensaries would be legal before the 2016 referendum to allow adult-use cannabis.

• Recreational cannabis would be decriminalized for adults ages 21 and up.
• The proposal would also mean more changes for the Cannabis Control Commission, the state agency that was marred by infighting and red tape before being restructured earlier this year.

Yes, but: That also means shuttering adult-use dispensaries and losing hundreds of millions of dollars in future revenue for police training, public transit, school building and restorative justice efforts.

• The legal market has generated $2 billion dollars in state and local tax revenue, including $183 million from the excise tax and $50 million across local budgets in fiscal 2025.

What they're saying: "Repealing recreational cannabis laws in Massachusetts will not only take us backwards," Ryan Dominguez, the campaign chair, said in a statement.

• "It will negatively impact our communities that are already struggling with budget shortfalls and locally owned small businesses that have invested their life savings into building their legal businesses."

The other side: "The impetus behind the question continues to be the safety of marijuana as a drug consumed by people without regulation," said Wendy Wakeman, a spokesperson for the Coalition for a Healthy Massachusetts.

• The legal market, she added, has revealed unintended consequences for public safety, mental health and quality of life.
• Wakeman said that, for her, that includes smelling cannabis on I-93 and other major roads.

Spread the word

Boston and Cambridge have become the guinea pigs in the state's experiment with laxer drinking laws as the World Cup and Tall Ships draw thousands to Massachusetts.

Why it matters: These cities are throwing drinking restrictions — described by some as puritanical — to the wind, at least until July 31, thanks to a hastily passed loosening of Massachusetts' drinking laws this summer.

Catch up quick: So far, only Boston and Cambridge have approved both bar service until 3am and public drinking zones.

• Revere, Chelsea, Brockton and others voted to opt out of both provisions in the temporary alcohol law, while Somerville approved extending last call but not the public districts.

Be smart: No outside booze is allowed, so leave the six-pack and wine bottles at home.

Boston launched two public consumption districts: one on Temple Place near the Boston Common and the other on Union and Marshall streets (the Blackstone Block).

• Bars and eligible restaurants within the districts can sell one 16-ounce drink per person, per transaction.

Temple Place hours: 9am–11pm Monday–Saturday; 10am–9pm Sunday.

Blackstone Block hours: 9am–12am Monday through Saturday; 10am–9pm Sunday.

Cambridge launched seven public drinking zones for Cambridge United soccer watch parties, tomorrow's City Dance Party, Porchfest in July and other events, with at least 35 restaurants participating within the districts.

Hours: 11am–11pm every day (last call is 10:45pm).

Pro tip: Keep this PDF of Cambridge's public consumption zone maps handy.

Keep reading: Other restrictions

🚫 As Cambridge tries out public drinking zones, criticism is mounting over the licensing commission's proposal to impose an earlier last call and 30-minute cooling period between drink orders. (Cambridge Day)

• The proposal also includes a requirement to offer drug testing for potentially tampered drinks.

🗳️ A Boston federal court judge yesterday barred the Trump administration from implementing his executive order on elections, including requiring proof of citizenship during voter registration. (Globe)

🚕 ICYMI: Cab drivers licensed in Boston can now accept rides from Uber and Lyft users under a one-year pilot. (UniversalHub)

Cambridge Health Alliance reopens its birth center next month.

Why it matters: The Boston area once again has a health care facility dedicated to services by midwives and doulas — six years after CHA's original birth center closed.

• It will soon be joined by the Neighborhood Birth Center in Roxbury.

Driving the news: The birth center reopens July 6 with roughly 17 certified nurse midwives and 19 doulas speaking 13 languages, including Spanish, Haitian Creole, Arabic and Portuguese.

• The center will launch with eight deliveries planned next month and aims to conduct up to 100 deliveries in its first year, says Kim Amsley-Camp, CHA's director of midwifery.

Go deeper

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum expanded its free admission on the first Thursday of the month to every week.

• The year-round Free Thursday Nights initiative launches July 9, offering free reservations from 5-9pm.

Tell an artsy friend

👋🏼 Steph here. If you haven't seen this online already, here's your reminder that some grudges never die.

• The Dubliner gave its employees the day off, and it just happened to fall on the day England played Ghana in Foxborough.

Yes, but: These are the same Brits who reportedly told the Tartan Army to "f🤬 off" as they packed the Dubliner on Sunday, so don't feel too bad.

• Meanwhile, Glasgow is sending Boston an orange-and-white token of appreciation.