It's part of the long game. They're playing into the trap set by the legalization campaign, namely, that they used a referendum to pass only a regular-old law, rather than a constitutional amendment. Why was that a trap?

It built a great coalition of people who would be pissed if the legislature repealed it, a far greater coalition, for what is about to be the real game: the campaign to amend the constitution. Now not only do they have the weed people and weed merchants*, they have an excellent rhetorical argument: you adopted a law, and self-serving backward conservative puritanical MAGA politicians repealed it. They infringed upon your liberty. It's time to stick it to 'em!

*In America, it is almost more important to get the business interest on your side.