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Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Legalized marijuana hits roadblocks after years of expansion
A recreational marijuana user smokes weed in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. This year, marijuana advocates are playing defense in multiple state legislatures. () As every state surrounding Idaho legalized marijuana, state Rep. Bruce Skaug started to view it as inevitable that the Gem State would follow suit. Not anymore. Skaug, a Republican, supported two bills this legislative session taking aim at marijuana use: one to impose a mandatory minimum $300 fine for possession and another that would take away the right of voters to legalize pot at the ballot box. He believes other states are starting to regret liberalizing marijuana use, because of potential health concerns and lackluster revenues from marijuana sales. 'Looking around at other states that have legalized marijuana, it's not improved their states as a place to raise a family, to do business,' he said. 'It just hasn't come through with the promises that we heard years ago for those states.' Idaho's not alone. After years of expanding legal access, lawmakers in several states this year have targeted marijuana in various ways. To help close budget gaps, officials in Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey have proposed raising marijuana taxes. Health concerns have pushed lawmakers in states including Colorado and Montana to attempt to cap the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, in marijuana products sold at dispensaries. And some lawmakers have even tried to roll back voter-approved medical marijuana programs. Looking around at other states that have legalized marijuana, it's not improved their states. – Idaho Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug 'This year in particular, we're playing defense a lot more than we have in the past,' said Morgan Fox, political director at the advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML. To some extent, he said, the pendulum on marijuana liberalization is swinging back. But Fox said recent legislative efforts are not indicative of waning public support for legalization. He said prohibitionist politicians have been emboldened to act against the will of voters. Polling from the Pew Research Center has found little change in support for legalization in recent years: 57% of U.S. adults say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes. Indiana Republican leadership seems as opposed as ever to marijuana legalization. In fact, this year bills are moving to ban advertising the illegal product in the state. Colorado and Washington state began allowing recreational marijuana sales in 2014. Today, 24 states and the District of Columbia allow recreational sales, and 39 states and the district have sanctioned medical marijuana. 'There's been this air of inevitability for a while,' said Daniel Mallinson, an associate professor of public policy at Penn State Harrisburg who researches marijuana legalization. With medical marijuana programs operational in most states, Mallinson said there is pressure to expand recreational marijuana, especially given uncertainty over whether the federal government will act on the issue. 'Recreational is still in its takeoff period,' he said. But he acknowledged that new medical research has raised concerns among some lawmakers. One study published in January found a link between heavy marijuana use and memory function. Other studies have found a higher risk of heart attacks among people who use cannabis. Mallinson said the research on marijuana is 'very young,' as many institutions are wary of conducting clinical trials because of federal drug laws. The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug — the same classification as drugs such as heroin and ecstasy. 'There's a mixture of science and politics in this area,' he said. ' … I could imagine seeing in these really conservative states like Idaho, you know, this kind of a backlash, like, we don't want this here at all, so we're going to try to put up barriers to even considering it.' In Idaho, Skaug said he pursued the state's new mandatory $300 fine for marijuana possession to bring more consistency to how the state handles marijuana cases. While Idaho law previously allowed fines of up to $1,000, he said judges had issued fines as low as $2.50. Pot smell and safety concerns ignite disputes over public smoking 'So that wasn't the right message. That's not even worth the time to write the ticket,' he said. 'So it's not that we're going to arrest more people for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, but there will be more citations in the amount of $300.' Skaug also backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would give only the legislature the power to legalize marijuana and other drugs. That question will go to voters next year. Skaug said he's worried outside groups would influence a public vote to legalize marijuana by pouring millions into a ballot initiative campaign. If the amendment he supports passes, it wouldn't ban pot — it would leave legalization up to lawmakers. 'If the evidence comes back that says marijuana or some other drug is positive in the medical community and a good thing, then the legislature can legalize that,' he said. 'But we're going to leave it with the legislature.' Advocates have been trying without success to get enough signatures to put a medical marijuana question on the ballot for more than a decade in Idaho, said Democratic state Rep. Ilana Rubel. The House minority leader, Rubel said she hit 'a firm brick wall' in pitching medical marijuana legislation in Boise, where GOP lawmakers privately tell her they don't want to look soft on crime. She views the proposed amendment as another example of the GOP-controlled statehouse being out of touch with regular Idahoans. She said the state's closed Republican primaries have led to more conservative stances from lawmakers. 'I think this is one of those issues where there is just a huge, huge gap between what the people of Idaho want and what they're going to get from their legislature,' she said. A 2022 poll commissioned by the Idaho Statesman found that nearly 70% of Idahoans supported legalizing medical marijuana. But even discussions about medical marijuana are shut down in Idaho because of concerns about problems with drugs in liberal cities such as Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Rubel said. 'A very large number of red states have legalized medical marijuana, and they haven't seen any of the parade of horribles that has been presented whenever we introduce this idea,' she said. 'There's just a lot of hysteria and paranoia about where this is going to lead that is really not tied to reality.' In several states, lawmakers have aimed to restrict the potency of marijuana products. Montana state Sen. Greg Hertz, a Republican, said he doesn't want to end recreational marijuana sales, which voters approved in 2020. But he said today's products are much stronger than people may realize. 'People were voting for Woodstock weed, not this new high-THC marijuana,' he said. A bill he sponsored this year would have banned sales of recreational marijuana products, including flower and edibles, exceeding THC levels of 15%. Montana currently allows up to 35% THC in flower, with no limit on other products. That legislation stalled, but Hertz said he plans to pitch a similar measure during Montana's next legislative session in 2027. A separate bill reducing the state's dosage of THC for edibles just passed the legislature last week. The measure, which now heads to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, would change the individual dosage limit on edibles such as gummies from 10 milligrams to 5 milligrams. Hertz said the state rushed into its liberalization of marijuana without fully understanding the consequences. He pointed to state health department data showing rising emergency room visits related to marijuana and dozens of cannabis poisoning cases in recent years — including 36 involving children 10 years or younger. 'We probably opened up the barn door too wide,' he said. 'I'm just trying to slow this down a little bit.' With many states facing gaping budget holes this year, marijuana has proven a popular target from Democrats and Republicans looking to raise revenues without across-the-board tax increases. CONTACT US Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in January proposed hiking the cannabis tax from 9% to 15% to help close the state's $3 billion budget hole. In March, lawmakers agreed to a budget framework that would raise the state marijuana tax to 12%. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine proposed doubling marijuana taxes from 10% to 20% — a notion that has so far faced opposition in the legislature. In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a new 32% wholesale tax on marijuana growers to help fund road improvements. That tax would be on top of the 10% excise tax on recreational marijuana and the state's 6% sales tax. Whitmer said it would close a loophole that has exempted the marijuana industry from wholesale tax, which is applied to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Michigan lawmakers, split sharply along partisan lines, have until Sept. 30 to approve a state budget. Lawmakers in some states have even taken aim at voter-approved medical marijuana programs this year. In South Dakota, a bill that failed in committee would have gutted the medical marijuana program overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2020. In November, Nebraska voters widely supported ballot measures to roll out a medical marijuana program — winning majority support in each of the state's 49 legislative districts. But setting up the regulatory scheme has proven controversial, the Nebraska Examiner reported. Lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would define which medical conditions and forms of cannabis would qualify. Medical marijuana advocates say overly strict rules would hamper the program and undermine the will of voters. But some legislators insist on limitations to prevent widespread access to marijuana. 'We make it legal for anything and everything, it's essentially recreational marijuana at that point,' state Sen. Rick Holdcroft, a Republican, told the Nebraska Examiner this month. Stateline is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
State-by-state marijuana legalization hits roadblocks after years of expansion
A recreational marijuana smoker indulges in smoking weed on April 14, 2020 in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by) As every state surrounding Idaho legalized marijuana, state Rep. Bruce Skaug started to view it as inevitable that the Gem State would follow suit. Not anymore. Skaug, a Republican, supported two bills this legislative session taking aim at marijuana use: one to impose a mandatory minimum $300 fine for possession and another that would take away the right of voters to legalize pot at the ballot box. He believes other states are starting to regret liberalizing marijuana use, because of potential health concerns and lackluster revenues from marijuana sales. 'Looking around at other states that have legalized marijuana, it's not improved their states as a place to raise a family, to do business,' he said. 'It just hasn't come through with the promises that we heard years ago for those states.' Idaho's not alone. After years of expanding legal access, lawmakers in several states this year have targeted marijuana in various ways. To help close budget gaps, officials in Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey have proposed raising marijuana taxes. Health concerns have pushed lawmakers in states including Colorado and Montana to attempt to cap the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, in marijuana products sold at dispensaries. And some lawmakers have even tried to roll back voter-approved medical marijuana programs. 'This year in particular, we're playing defense a lot more than we have in the past,' said Morgan Fox, political director at the advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML. To some extent, he said, the pendulum on marijuana liberalization is swinging back. But Fox said recent legislative efforts are not indicative of waning public support for legalization. He said prohibitionist politicians have been emboldened to act against the will of voters. Polling from the Pew Research Center has found little change in support for legalization in recent years: 57% of U.S. adults say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes. Colorado and Washington state began allowing recreational marijuana sales in 2014. Today, 24 states and the District of Columbia allow recreational sales, and 39 states and the district have sanctioned medical marijuana. 'There's been this air of inevitability for a while,' said Daniel Mallinson, an associate professor of public policy at Penn State Harrisburg who researches marijuana legalization. With medical marijuana programs operational in most states, Mallinson said there is pressure to expand recreational marijuana, especially given uncertainty over whether the federal government will act on the issue. 'Recreational is still in its takeoff period,' he said. But he acknowledged that new medical research has raised concerns among some lawmakers. One study published in January found a link between heavy marijuana use and memory function. Other studies have found a higher risk of heart attacks among people who use cannabis. Mallinson said the research on marijuana is 'very young,' as many institutions are wary of conducting clinical trials because of federal drug laws. The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug — the same classification as drugs such as heroin and ecstasy. 'There's a mixture of science and politics in this area,' he said. ' … I could imagine seeing in these really conservative states like Idaho, you know, this kind of a backlash, like, we don't want this here at all, so we're going to try to put up barriers to even considering it.' In Idaho, Skaug said he pursued the state's new mandatory $300 fine for marijuana possession to bring more consistency to how the state handles marijuana cases. While Idaho law previously allowed fines of up to $1,000, he said judges had issued fines as low as $2.50. 'So that wasn't the right message. That's not even worth the time to write the ticket,' he said. 'So it's not that we're going to arrest more people for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, but there will be more citations in the amount of $300.' Skaug also backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would give only the legislature the power to legalize marijuana and other drugs. That question will go to voters next year. Skaug said he's worried outside groups would influence a public vote to legalize marijuana by pouring millions into a ballot initiative campaign. If the amendment he supports passes, it wouldn't ban pot — it would leave legalization up to lawmakers. 'If the evidence comes back that says marijuana or some other drug is positive in the medical community and a good thing, then the legislature can legalize that,' he said. 'But we're going to leave it with the legislature.' Advocates have been trying without success to get enough signatures to put a medical marijuana question on the ballot for more than a decade in Idaho, said Democratic state Rep. Ilana Rubel. The House minority leader, Rubel said she hit 'a firm brick wall' in pitching medical marijuana legislation in Boise, where GOP lawmakers privately tell her they don't want to look soft on crime. She views the proposed amendment as another example of the GOP-controlled statehouse being out of touch with regular Idahoans. She said the state's closed Republican primaries have led to more conservative stances from lawmakers. 'I think this is one of those issues where there is just a huge, huge gap between what the people of Idaho want and what they're going to get from their legislature,' she said. A 2022 poll commissioned by the Idaho Statesman found that nearly 70% of Idahoans supported legalizing medical marijuana. But even discussions about medical marijuana are shut down in Idaho because of concerns about problems with drugs in liberal cities such as Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Rubel said. 'A very large number of red states have legalized medical marijuana, and they haven't seen any of the parade of horribles that has been presented whenever we introduce this idea,' she said. 'There's just a lot of hysteria and paranoia about where this is going to lead that is really not tied to reality.' In several states, lawmakers have aimed to restrict the potency of marijuana products. Montana state Sen. Greg Hertz, a Republican, said he doesn't want to end recreational marijuana sales, which voters approved in 2020. But he said today's products are much stronger than people may realize. 'People were voting for Woodstock weed, not this new high-THC marijuana,' he said. A bill he sponsored this year would have banned sales of recreational marijuana products, including flower and edibles, exceeding THC levels of 15%. Montana currently allows up to 35% THC in flower, with no limit on other products. That legislation stalled, but Hertz said he plans to pitch a similar measure during Montana's next legislative session in 2027. A separate bill reducing the state's dosage of THC for edibles just passed the legislature last week. The measure, which now heads to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, would change the individual dosage limit on edibles such as gummies from 10 milligrams to 5 milligrams. Hertz said the state rushed into its liberalization of marijuana without fully understanding the consequences. He pointed to state health department data showing rising emergency room visits related to marijuana and dozens of cannabis poisoning cases in recent years — including 36 involving children 10 years or younger. 'We probably opened up the barn door too wide,' he said. 'I'm just trying to slow this down a little bit.' With many states facing gaping budget holes this year, marijuana has proven a popular target from Democrats and Republicans looking to raise revenues without across-the-board tax increases. Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in January proposed hiking the cannabis tax from 9% to 15% to help close the state's $3 billion budget hole. In March, lawmakers agreed to a budget framework that would raise the state marijuana tax to 12%. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine proposed doubling marijuana taxes from 10% to 20% — a notion that has so far faced opposition in the legislature. In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a new 32% wholesale tax on marijuana growers to help fund road improvements. That tax would be on top of the 10% excise tax on recreational marijuana and the state's 6% sales tax. Whitmer said it would close a loophole that has exempted the marijuana industry from wholesale tax, which is applied to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Michigan lawmakers, split sharply along partisan lines, have until Sept. 30 to approve a state budget. Lawmakers in some states have even taken aim at voter-approved medical marijuana programs this year. In South Dakota, a bill that failed in committee would have gutted the medical marijuana program overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2020. In November, Nebraska voters widely supported ballot measures to roll out a medical marijuana program — winning majority support in each of the state's 49 legislative districts. But setting up the regulatory scheme has proven controversial, the Nebraska Examiner reported. Lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would define which medical conditions and forms of cannabis would qualify. Medical marijuana advocates say overly strict rules would hamper the program and undermine the will of voters. But some legislators insist on limitations to prevent widespread access to marijuana. 'We make it legal for anything and everything, it's essentially recreational marijuana at that point,' state Sen. Rick Holdcroft, a Republican, told the Nebraska Examiner this month. Stateline and the Nebraska Examiner are part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Stateline maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Scott S. Greenberger for questions: info@ SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Marijuana legalization hits roadblocks after years of expansion
A recreational marijuana user smokes weed in the Bushwick section of the Brooklyn borough of New York City. This year, marijuana advocates are playing defense in multiple state legislatures. () As every state surrounding Idaho legalized marijuana, state Rep. Bruce Skaug started to view it as inevitable that the Gem State would follow suit. Not anymore. Skaug, a Republican, supported two bills this legislative session taking aim at marijuana use: one to impose a mandatory minimum $300 fine for possession and another that would take away the right of voters to legalize pot at the ballot box. He believes other states are starting to regret liberalizing marijuana use, because of potential health concerns and lackluster revenues from marijuana sales. 'Looking around at other states that have legalized marijuana, it's not improved their states as a place to raise a family, to do business,' he said. 'It just hasn't come through with the promises that we heard years ago for those states.' Idaho's not alone. After years of expanding legal access, lawmakers in several states this year have targeted marijuana in various ways. To help close budget gaps, officials in Maryland, Michigan and New Jersey have proposed raising marijuana taxes. Health concerns have pushed lawmakers in states including Colorado and Montana to attempt to cap the level of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the primary psychoactive component in cannabis, in marijuana products sold at dispensaries. And some lawmakers have even tried to roll back voter-approved medical marijuana programs. Looking around at other states that have legalized marijuana, it's not improved their states. – Idaho Republican state Rep. Bruce Skaug 'This year in particular, we're playing defense a lot more than we have in the past,' said Morgan Fox, political director at the advocacy group National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, or NORML. To some extent, he said, the pendulum on marijuana liberalization is swinging back. But Fox said recent legislative efforts are not indicative of waning public support for legalization. He said prohibitionist politicians have been emboldened to act against the will of voters. Polling from the Pew Research Center has found little change in support for legalization in recent years: 57% of U.S. adults say that marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational purposes. Colorado and Washington state began allowing recreational marijuana sales in 2014. Today, 24 states and the District of Columbia allow recreational sales, and 39 states and the district have sanctioned medical marijuana. 'There's been this air of inevitability for a while,' said Daniel Mallinson, an associate professor of public policy at Penn State Harrisburg who researches marijuana legalization. With medical marijuana programs operational in most states, Mallinson said there is pressure to expand recreational marijuana, especially given uncertainty over whether the federal government will act on the issue. 'Recreational is still in its takeoff period,' he said. But he acknowledged that new medical research has raised concerns among some lawmakers. One study published in January found a link between heavy marijuana use and memory function. Other studies have found a higher risk of heart attacks among people who use cannabis. Mallinson said the research on marijuana is 'very young,' as many institutions are wary of conducting clinical trials because of federal drug laws. The federal government classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug — the same classification as drugs such as heroin and ecstasy. 'There's a mixture of science and politics in this area,' he said. ' … I could imagine seeing in these really conservative states like Idaho, you know, this kind of a backlash, like, we don't want this here at all, so we're going to try to put up barriers to even considering it.' In Idaho, Skaug said he pursued the state's new mandatory $300 fine for marijuana possession to bring more consistency to how the state handles marijuana cases. While Idaho law previously allowed fines of up to $1,000, he said judges had issued fines as low as $2.50. Pot smell and safety concerns ignite disputes over public smoking 'So that wasn't the right message. That's not even worth the time to write the ticket,' he said. 'So it's not that we're going to arrest more people for misdemeanor possession of marijuana, but there will be more citations in the amount of $300.' Skaug also backed a proposed constitutional amendment that would give only the legislature the power to legalize marijuana and other drugs. That question will go to voters next year. Skaug said he's worried outside groups would influence a public vote to legalize marijuana by pouring millions into a ballot initiative campaign. If the amendment he supports passes, it wouldn't ban pot — it would leave legalization up to lawmakers. 'If the evidence comes back that says marijuana or some other drug is positive in the medical community and a good thing, then the legislature can legalize that,' he said. 'But we're going to leave it with the legislature.' Advocates have been trying without success to get enough signatures to put a medical marijuana question on the ballot for more than a decade in Idaho, said Democratic state Rep. Ilana Rubel. The House minority leader, Rubel said she hit 'a firm brick wall' in pitching medical marijuana legislation in Boise, where GOP lawmakers privately tell her they don't want to look soft on crime. She views the proposed amendment as another example of the GOP-controlled statehouse being out of touch with regular Idahoans. She said the state's closed Republican primaries have led to more conservative stances from lawmakers. 'I think this is one of those issues where there is just a huge, huge gap between what the people of Idaho want and what they're going to get from their legislature,' she said. A 2022 poll commissioned by the Idaho Statesman found that nearly 70% of Idahoans supported legalizing medical marijuana. But even discussions about medical marijuana are shut down in Idaho because of concerns about problems with drugs in liberal cities such as Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Rubel said. 'A very large number of red states have legalized medical marijuana, and they haven't seen any of the parade of horribles that has been presented whenever we introduce this idea,' she said. 'There's just a lot of hysteria and paranoia about where this is going to lead that is really not tied to reality.' In several states, lawmakers have aimed to restrict the potency of marijuana products. Montana state Sen. Greg Hertz, a Republican, said he doesn't want to end recreational marijuana sales, which voters approved in 2020. But he said today's products are much stronger than people may realize. Drug decriminalization stumbled in Oregon. Other states are taking note. 'People were voting for Woodstock weed, not this new high-THC marijuana,' he said. A bill he sponsored this year would have banned sales of recreational marijuana products, including flower and edibles, exceeding THC levels of 15%. Montana currently allows up to 35% THC in flower, with no limit on other products. That legislation stalled, but Hertz said he plans to pitch a similar measure during Montana's next legislative session in 2027. A separate bill reducing the state's dosage of THC for edibles just passed the legislature last week. The measure, which now heads to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, would change the individual dosage limit on edibles such as gummies from 10 milligrams to 5 milligrams. Hertz said the state rushed into its liberalization of marijuana without fully understanding the consequences. He pointed to state health department data showing rising emergency room visits related to marijuana and dozens of cannabis poisoning cases in recent years — including 36 involving children 10 years or younger. 'We probably opened up the barn door too wide,' he said. 'I'm just trying to slow this down a little bit.' With many states facing gaping budget holes this year, marijuana has proven a popular target from Democrats and Republicans looking to raise revenues without across-the-board tax increases. Maryland Democratic Gov. Wes Moore in January proposed hiking the cannabis tax from 9% to 15% to help close the state's $3 billion budget hole. In March, lawmakers agreed to a budget framework that would raise the state marijuana tax to 12%. Ohio Republican Gov. Mike DeWine proposed doubling marijuana taxes from 10% to 20% — a notion that has so far faced opposition in the legislature. The Colorado psychedelic mushroom experiment has arrived In Michigan, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer proposed a new 32% wholesale tax on marijuana growers to help fund road improvements. That tax would be on top of the 10% excise tax on recreational marijuana and the state's 6% sales tax. Whitmer said it would close a loophole that has exempted the marijuana industry from wholesale tax, which is applied to cigarettes and other tobacco products. Michigan lawmakers, split sharply along partisan lines, have until Sept. 30 to approve a state budget. Lawmakers in some states have even taken aim at voter-approved medical marijuana programs this year. In South Dakota, a bill that failed in committee would have gutted the medical marijuana program overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2020. In November, Nebraska voters widely supported ballot measures to roll out a medical marijuana program — winning majority support in each of the state's 49 legislative districts. But setting up the regulatory scheme has proven controversial, the Nebraska Examiner reported. Lawmakers are pursuing legislation that would define which medical conditions and forms of cannabis would qualify. Medical marijuana advocates say overly strict rules would hamper the program and undermine the will of voters. But some legislators insist on limitations to prevent widespread access to marijuana. 'We make it legal for anything and everything, it's essentially recreational marijuana at that point,' state Sen. Rick Holdcroft, a Republican, told the Nebraska Examiner this month. Stateline reporter Kevin Hardy can be reached at khardy@ SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The ‘Idaho way': Republicans want to eliminate voters' power to legalize weed
In our Reality Check stories, Idaho Statesman journalists seek to hold the powerful accountable and find answers to critical questions in our community. Read more. Story idea? Tips@ A measure on next year's ballot could finally accomplish what Idaho lawmakers have tried to do for years: block voters from legalizing pot in the state. Idaho voters next year will decide whether to approve a measure that would add to the state constitution that only the Legislature has the power to legalize marijuana, narcotics or psychoactive drugs, making it impossible for a citizen-led initiative to allow the drugs in the state. Senate Republican leaders celebrated after they passed House Joint Resolution 4, which places the measure on the 2026 general election ballot, and said it would protect Idaho's future and reflect the moral values held by the state's residents. 'By placing this constitutional amendment on the ballot, the Legislature is ensuring that decisions regarding drug legalization remain in the hands of the elected representatives best equipped to assess the ongoing and evolving threats posed by drug proliferation,' they said in a statement. The legislation is a culmination of legislators' dislike of both recent initiatives and weed, amid a growing number of states that have legalized the drug. Every state that borders Idaho has legalized pot in some form, with the exception of Wyoming. Most states have allowed recreational use, while Utah only allows medical marijuana. 'That takes the initiative process out of legalizing drugs,' Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, who cosponsored the bill, told a House committee in February. 'Only the Legislature will have the power.' Idaho lawmakers have a history of pushing back on citizen-led initiatives. Legislators this year passed a bill that puts more stringent requirements on qualifying for the Medicaid expansion program that the state's voters overwhelmingly supported in 2018. The Legislature also fought in court an unsuccessful ballot initiative last year that would have created open primaries and a ranked choice voting system in Idaho. State lawmakers have fought initiatives even back in 1994, when legislators repealed a law approved by voters on term limits, according to The New York Times. House Joint Resolution 4 was just one of several measures lawmakers have taken in the past few years to limit initiatives. This year one of the bills introduced would allow the governor to veto successful initiatives, though that bill never made it to the floor for a vote. Direct democracy tools like the initiative are there in case the Legislature becomes a 'block' against something the people want, said Stephanie Witt, Boise State University professor in the school of public service. Though initiatives have most recently been associated with liberal groups, conservatives have also used the process in the past, Witt told the Statesman. 'Giving up that power is giving away a lot of power,' Witt said. 'The tool can be used by people from everywhere on the political spectrum.' House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said the bill would be 'stripping the power of the people.' 'It should not be our job to stop them from doing so,' Rubel said on the House floor. 'That just doesn't feel like an appropriate role for us as supposed representatives of the people.' Jeremy Kitzhaber, a retired U.S. Air Force sergeant who has been battling cancer, has helped craft medical marijuana bills that were introduced in Idaho for years, but has yet to garner enough support. Kitzhaber has told lawmakers about the need for alternative medication for patients like him dependent on opioids. Kitzhaber said he's not someone who wants to get high. He just wants to be comfortable. 'My thing on that is, it's our right as citizens to try and put a ballot initiative together,' Kitzhaber told the Statesman. Many in the Legislature 'are worried that if the people put a citizens initiative together, and it makes it on the ballot, what we have right now is nothing, and that would give us something.' For years, Idaho lawmakers have stated their intense opposition to pot and said a permanent prohibition would simply reflect Idaho values. Skaug called the addiction, sale and production of illegal drugs 'one of the most evil things we deal with.' Efforts to get an initiative to legalize medical marijuana legalization on the ballot have failed every election cycle since 2012, according to the Secretary of State's Office. But more than two-thirds of residents support legalizing medical marijuana, according to a poll commissioned by the Statesman. It also hasn't stopped Idahoans from using weed. In Ontario, Oregon, along the Idaho border less than an hour's drive from Boise, the city hit $100 million in dispensary sales in 2023, according to Portland Monthly. Idahoans are a major client base for the city's booming marijuana industry, the Statesman previously reported. In their efforts to combat marijuana use, lawmakers have put out several proposals for new laws — including one, House Bill 271, to block the advertisement of illegal products. And Gov. Brad Little signed a bill into law to create a $300 mandatory minimum fine for marijuana possession, higher than almost every other misdemeanor, according to previous Statesman reporting. It's also not the first time Idaho lawmakers have tried to ban marijuana legislation in the state constitution. Republicans in 2021 introduced a joint resolution that would have put a measure on ballot asking voters to place a ban on drugs in the state constitution, according to previous Statesman reporting. That resolution failed. The proposed amendment to appear on the ballot next year adds to a section in the state constitution that already cedes full control of liquor sales in Idaho. Back in 1933, legislators put forth a resolution that asked voters to give the Legislature the 'full power and authority to permit, control and regulate or prohibit,' intoxicating liquors. Idaho voters approved it with over 61% of the vote, according to Ballotpedia. Rep. Josh Wheeler, R-Ammon, during debate on the floor said this year's legislation reflects the state's 'standing as a bastion against illegal drugs.' 'This is a clear example of doing something the Idaho way,' Wheeler said. Idaho lawmakers look to 'go on offense' to limit possible drug legalization initiatives Idaho imposes new minimum fine for low-level marijuana possession — likely steepest in US
Yahoo
11-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho bill to implement minimum fine for marijuana possession heads to Senate floor
Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, speaks to the House State Affairs committee at the Idaho State Capitol building on Jan. 11, 2023. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) A bill to implement a $300 minimum fine for adults convicted of possessing three ounces or less of marijuana is headed to the Idaho Senate floor for a vote. The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee on Monday voted to advance House Bill 7 to the Senate floor, putting it one step closer to becoming law after already passing the Idaho House last week in a 54-14 vote. The committee voted along party lines, with its two Democrats, Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, and Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, voting against it. Its sponsor, Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, said Idaho remains one of the states with the strictest laws against marijuana usage, and a mandatory minimum fine for small amounts of marijuana would work as a deterrent for its usage. 'A $300 fine is not too much if you can afford to buy this marijuana and concentrate,' Skaug said. 'Every dollar spent on pot by someone is not spent on food, clothing, school supplies, real medicine or housing.' The committee advanced the bill with a recommendation that it pass. House Bill 7 may be voted on by the Idaho Senate in the coming days or weeks. Fourteen people testified before the committee, most of whom supported the bill — including representatives from law enforcement and conservative groups such as the Idaho Freedom Foundation and the Idaho Family Policy Center. Ada County Sheriff Matt Clifford spoke in favor of the legislation, sharing that he believes a $300 minimum fine will remind people from outside of Idaho that possessing marijuana in the Gem State will have more repercussions. 'Now we have surrounding states that have legalized marijuana in some form or fashion,' Clifford said. 'I think if we're going to keep taking the stance that we're hard on illegal drugs, we probably need to up our game a little bit, and this is a good way to do that.' Other testimony came from advocates for medical marijuana, who voiced their opposition to the bill. This includes Jeremy Kitzhaber, a veteran who is disabled who previously served in the U.S. Air Force as a civil engineer and first sergeant. Kitzhaber has consistently opposed this legislation, arguing it would harm his fellow veteran community. 'This bill would say that an edible gummy is a minimum fine, yet drunk driving, exposing yourself in public or even smacking your spouse, would still not impose a minimum fine,' Kitzhaber told the committee. Dr. Mark McConnell, a critical care physician who works with veterans in Boise, also spoke in opposition to the bill. McConnell said at least 30% of the clients he admits to the hospital regularly use marijuana. Physicians cannot prescribe medical marijuana to patients in Idaho, McConnell said, so patients are forced to break the law to access medical marijuana, even though it is a safer alternative to opioids and Valium. 'I understand the political realities of politicians appearing tough on crime, but I believe that you will be hurting the wrong people if you pass this legislation. My veterans will suffer because of this legislation,' McConnell said. Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Viola, pushed back against the medical marijuana arguments. 'I'm not unsympathetic to people who have medical issues and find some relief with marijuana, but as a retired police officer, I too have seen the effects of marijuana,' Foreman said. 'It's bad business. We need to do whatever we can to keep it out of our great state.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
