THE MASS BRIEF

Saturday, October 24, 2026

The Lead

The campaign to kill legal weed is driving on shaky statistical ground.

With Election Day approaching, backers of Question 8, the ballot measure that would unwind the state's recreational marijuana market, have gone all-in on a road-safety message. A projection on a Brookline apartment building proclaimed that "42% of drivers in fatal crashes test positive for THC." Their website warns of "DUIs RISING." It's the kind of stat that makes you grip the wheel a little tighter.

The problem is that much of it leans on research out of Ohio rather than Massachusetts, and the science on THC and impaired driving is thin to begin with. UMass Amherst professor Lucy Xiaolu Wang, who has studied cannabis policy, told the Globe that drawing firm conclusions from that out-of-state work is "impossible," because so little conclusive research exists on driving impaired by anything other than alcohol. Worth noting: THC testing positive isn't the same as THC causing a crash, since the compound can linger in the body long after impairment fades.

Nobody on the legal-weed side is arguing that driving high is a good idea, and it's already illegal here. But the gap between a punchy ad and the actual evidence is exactly what voters should keep in mind as they decide whether to keep a market that's now a fixture of the state economy. Expect both sides to keep sparring over the numbers right up to November. Full story at Boston Globe →

What Else You Should Know

Two state troopers suspended in Martha's Vineyard rape investigation. State Police suspended Troopers Ryan Costello and Robert Branca with pay Thursday, tied to an alleged rape at temporary trooper housing in Oak Bluffs in August. Edward Brown, a Boston Public Schools security employee and Costello's college friend, has pleaded not guilty. Colonel Geoffrey Noble banned overnight guests at seasonal trooper housing on the Vineyard and Nantucket and ordered a written visitor policy. Boston.com →

800,000 customers are behind on their utility bills. CommonWealth Beacon looks at the toll of energy debt across the state's six investor-owned utilities. One East Boston mother described choosing between groceries and paying the bill, a trade-off that's all too familiar in a state with sky-high energy costs. Rising arrearages are a clear marker of household financial distress. CommonWealth Beacon →

New Bedford fires two officers over Flock camera misuse. Mayor Jon Mitchell terminated Officer Emily Pacheco and Sgt. James Marinelli, who are accused of using license plate readers to track people they had personal relationships with. The City Council voted to ban the system outright, and Councilor Shane Burgo expects a mayoral veto that the council may have the votes to override. Watch this one as a test case for surveillance tech oversight statewide. WBZ / CBS Boston →

Fields Corner Post Office gets a last-minute reprieve. The USPS secured a lease extension that cancels Monday's planned closure of the Adams Street branch in Dorchester. City Councillor John FitzGerald credited Sen. Ed Markey's office and the building's developer for helping salvage the deal. WBUR →

Somerville Theatre's own staff buy the place. CSB Theatres, formed by manager Ian Judge and former employees, closed a $12 million purchase of the 112-year-old Davis Square landmark, including the Crystal Ballroom upstairs. They've launched a GoFundMe to pay down debt and plan a nonprofit next year to support programming. Boston Globe →

Hopkinton assisted living facility barred from new admissions. State elder affairs officials ordered Golden Pond to stop accepting residents amid an investigation into the Sept. 30 death of 86-year-old Sheila Szczypinski, who had just moved in. Police noted the building's air conditioning had been switched to heat the day before. The state cited continued deficiencies. Boston 25 →

Worth Your Attention

• Monday, Oct. 26: The Fields Corner Post Office was set to close, but won't. Same-old lines, same-old hours. WBUR →
• Dec. 11: Pretrial hearing in the Oak Bluffs rape case against Edward Brown. MV Times →
• Before Election Day: Get up to speed on all nine ballot questions with WBUR's rundown. Universal Hub →

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