Vote “No” on HJR 4 on November 3 

Idaho continues its reign as one of the most anti-cannabis states in the nation. While most states progress on cannabis, the Idaho Legislature has been making its state’s cannabis laws even more draconian by trying to prevent the people from taking cannabis policy reform into their own hands. On March 17, 2025, the Idaho House of Representatives and Senate, in lopsided votes, passed a resolution (HJR004) to ban voters from voting on relaxing cannabis and other drug laws via ballot initiatives.

This effort is a far overreach — robbing Idahoans of their ability to make their own decisions. If passed, ballot measure HJR 4 would also likely elongate the path forward for any cannabis reform in Idaho. Especially given the legislature's hostility to cannabis, the citizen initiative process is likely the only path to expanding cannabis freedom in Idaho. If HJR 4 passes, it would amend Idaho’s constitution indefinitely.

So instead of Idahoans voting on providing safe, lab-tested medical cannabis to seriously ill patients (see below), the legislature passed legislation for voters to decide on a state constitutional amendment providing:

"Shall Section 26, Article III of the Constitution of the State of Idaho 26 be amended to provide that only the Idaho Legislature shall have power and authority to legalize the growing, producing, manufacturing, transporting, selling, delivering, dispensing, administering, prescribing, distributing, possessing, or using of marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances?"

If passed, this amendment would hand over sole authority regarding cannabis to the legislature. No citizen's initiative would ever be allowed to create a compassionate medical cannabis program or adult-use legalization law. In November, be prepared to vote "no" on the proposed constitutional amendment that would take away your rights regarding cannabis.

Medical Marijuana Effort Falls Short 

The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho made an impressive effort and collected over 150,000 signatures in hopes of landing on the 2026 ballot. Unfortunately, the state disqualified over 90,000 signatures, leaving the campaign with only 58,024 verified signatures. The campaign’s final count of verified signatures needed to reach 70,725 to qualify. 

If the initiative qualified and passed, it would have brought medical access to one of the most restrictive states for cannabis in the country. Idaho would have joined the 41 other states with comprehensive medical cannabis programs. 

Idaho: the most anti-cannabis state?

Idaho arguably has the worst cannabis laws in the nation — and the most anti-cannabis state lawmakers. The state has no medical cannabis program, no adult-use legalization law, and no decriminalization law.

In addition to their cannabis law shortcomings, in 2025, the state’s treatment of cannabis consumers worsened. The legislature passed, and Governor Brad Little (R) signed, a draconian bill into law (H0007) that creates a mandatory minimum fine for cannabis possession. On January 1, 2026, the law imposed a mandatory minimum $300 fine on simple possession of cannabis — less than or equal to three ounces — in addition to possible jail time. Idaho arrested almost 5,000 people in 2025 — in a state with just barely two million residents. Their per capita arrest ratio is the highest in the nation at 254 per 100,000 residents.

Unfortunately, this draconian law hits minority communities the hardest. According to the FBI’s Universal Crime Report, Black Idahoans are over four times more likely to be arrested for possession than their white neighbors. This disparity in enforcement shows a law enforcement bias when usage of cannabis rates are even across racial lines in Idaho.

Idaho was the last state to legalize hemp production. It does not allow any THC in hemp products.

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