IDAHO– Idaho voters will face a decision this election season on who can make future changes to the state’s marijuana and drug laws.
House Joint Resolution 4 would give the Idaho Legislature sole authority to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, narcotics and other psychoactive substances. If voters approve the resolution, people could no longer use a ballot initiative to make those changes.
Under the current system, Idaho voters can attempt to put a marijuana legalization measure on the ballot through a ballot initiative — the same path Washington voters used when they approved recreational marijuana legalization in 2012. Idaho voters have tried to pursue a similar initiative, including this year, but the effort did not collect enough signatures to qualify.
The proposed constitutional change would close that route for marijuana and other drugs, leaving the Legislature as the only body able to legalize or decriminalize them.
Supporters of the resolution say it would prevent cannabis companies and other outside interests from financing ballot campaigns in Idaho.
“Idaho doesn’t want to be a Portland, we don’t want to be a Seattle or San Francisco or Los Angeles,” said Victor Miller of Idahoans for Healthy Kids and Communities. “We want to be Idaho, and we want to determine our own drug policy. We don’t want out-of-state drug interests to do that.”
Critics argue the proposal would limit people’s ability to make decisions directly through the initiative process.
Constitutional scholar David Adler said in a statement that the resolution asks Idahoans “to surrender their constitutional power as co-legislators, with the result of abandoning a crucial check and balance on the judgment of the legislature.”
If approved, the new rules would take effect immediately.
COPYRIGHT 2026 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
