Boise, ID: Backers of a statewide ballot initiative to legalize medical cannabis access failed to collect the necessary number of signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
According to a July 14th press release issued by the Secretary of State’s office, “The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act initiative did not qualify for the November ballot after failing to submit the required number of valid petition signatures, both in total number of signatures and required legislative districts.”
Under state law, petitioners needed to gather 70,725 verified signatures from Idaho voters. That total must include signatures from at least six percent of voters in 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts.
In May, campaign backers announced that they had submitted “more than 150,000 signatures across all 44 counties.” However, recently it was reported that some signatures were not submitted until after certain counties’ deadlines had elapsed.
A letter to the campaign from the Secretary of State further raised concerns over potentially unverifiable signatures, as well as the use of out-of-state signature collectors – a violation of state law.
Campaign organizers responded that they are reviewing the Secretary’s findings and “are examining every legal and procedural remedy available.”
Since 2012, advocates have sought to place a medical cannabis access measure on the state ballot, but they have never gathered a requisite number of signatures to do so.
Polling data compiled by the campaign earlier this year reported that 83 percent of likely Idaho voters favor permitting physicians the ability to authorize medical cannabis products to qualified patients.
Idaho is one of only a handful of states that makes no allowances for patients’ use of medical cannabis products. Last year, Republican Gov. Brad Little signed legislation into law imposing mandatory minimum penalties for first-time marijuana possession offenders.
Lawmakers last year also passed separate legislation placing a ballot question before voters in 2026 that, if passed, would prohibit citizens from weighing in on “any future voter-initiated ballot questions legalizing marijuana.” Voters will decide on that ballot question this November.
Additional information is available from NORML Election Central.