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BOISE, Idaho — Supporters of a medical cannabis initiative are racing toward an April 30 deadline to turn in signatures to the Secretary of State’s Office.
As that push gains traction, both supporters and opponents are weighing in on what legalizing medical marijuana could mean for Idaho.
A campaign to bring medical marijuana to Idaho is entering its final stretch, but before voters weigh in, supporters must first qualify the measure for the ballot.
That requires at least 70,000 verified signatures, including 6% of voters in each legislative district.
WATCH | Medical cannabis push in Idaho faces deadline and debate—
Amanda Watson with the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, which is leading the effort, said the campaign has collected more than 100,000 raw signatures but is still working to ensure enough are valid.
“We have over 100,000 signatures raw collected now, but like I said, we still need to make sure we have enough valid signatures that we are going to keep pushing until the very final moment,” Watson said.
The proposal, called the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, would create a regulated medical marijuana program and would not legalize recreational use.
Supporters say the goal is to give Idahoans access to alternative treatment options for conditions such as chronic pain, cancer-related symptoms, and PTSD, while maintaining strict limits on licensing, production, and distribution.
Rob Cronin of Sun Valley, a cancer survivor and sponsor of the initiative, said he experienced the downsides of current treatment options.
“And the only thing I had to relieve the pain was opiates. And I can’t tell you, they worked for the pain, but the side effects were unbelievable,” Cronin said. “So had I had that as an option, I think I would have chosen that.”
Supporters also point to polling, including a 2025 survey commissioned by the campaign, that found more than 80% of likely Idaho voters support medical marijuana.
Opponents, however, argue that the proposal could have broader impacts.
Victor Miller with Idahoans for Healthy Kids and Communities said the measure goes too far.
“Idaho Medical Cannabis Act is very bad for Idaho when you get into the details, and also it’s bad for our youth and our communities and our families,” Miller said. “You can get up to a quarter pound of smokable marijuana every month… that’s 240 joints.”
At the Statehouse, lawmakers have historically rejected similar efforts.
Idaho House Speaker Mike Moyle said the issue could ultimately be decided by voters.
“We’ll find out what the voters decide to do with that… and that’s going to be up to them,” Moyle said. “I think overwhelmingly in the legislature don’t think it’s a good idea, but in Idaho, the voters will have a say, and they’ll decide.”
Signing the petition does not legalize medical marijuana, but could allow voters to decide the issue at the ballot box.
If enough signatures are verified after the April 30 deadline, the measure could appear on Idaho ballots as early as this fall.