BOISE — Medical marijuana is facing an uphill battle in Idaho as lawmakers take steps to oppose a citizen-led effort to legalize it.
On Wednesday, the House State Affairs Committee and the full House debated Senate Concurrent Resolution 127, a measure urging Idahoans to reject the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act if it appears on the November ballot. The resolution, presented by Republican Rep. Jason Monks, ultimately passed the House after advancing out of committee.
WATCH: Lawmakers speak on Medical Cannabis Act
Supporters of the resolution argued that legalizing medical marijuana could have widespread consequences for public safety and health.
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“I have traveled not only this country but across the globe, and I’m here to tell you everywhere that they have legalized marijuana, you see much more homelessness, you see people that are just completely out of it, and it is not something I want to see in Idaho,” said Rep. Mickelsen.
Other lawmakers echoed concerns about crime and social impacts. Rep. Jaron Crane, R–District 12, compared cities with legalized marijuana to Boise, saying the differences are noticeable.
“It feels different walking in downtown Portland and Seattle than it does walking in Boise,” Crane said. “The cost will definitely always be higher than the benefit of projected tax revenue.”
Despite the Legislature’s stance, supporters of the initiative say the resolution misrepresents their proposal.
Amanda Watson with the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho says their plan includes strict legal safeguards and is designed to be tightly regulated.
“They kind of refer to unlawful activity. This is quite the opposite,” Watson said. “We are suggesting a very strong conservative legal framework for this to operate under, so some of it just isn’t relevant and doesn’t pertain to what we’re trying to do in Idaho.”
The group behind the initiative is now entering its final month of gathering signatures. Under Idaho law, supporters must collect signatures from at least 6% of voters in every legislative district to qualify for the ballot.
Watson says they have already gathered tens of thousands of signatures and remain confident they can meet the deadline.
“It doesn’t change anything for us,” Watson said. “We are full gas all the way until the end, and we’re really excited to put this in front of Idaho voters come November.”
Meanwhile, voters will also weigh in on HJR 4 in 2026, a proposed constitutional amendment that would give the Legislature exclusive authority over the legalization of controlled substances—potentially limiting future citizen-led initiatives like this one.
