Lawmakers in the Idaho Senate have passed a House-approved bill asking voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would remove the electorate’s right to pass cannabis legalization laws or any other drug reforms, the Idaho Capital Sun reports.
The bill, co-sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Scott Grow (R), was passed by Senate lawmakers in a 29-6 vote on Tuesday. Having already been passed by the House earlier this month, the Senate’s approval means that voters will get to decide during the 2026 election whether to amend the Idaho Constitution so that only the Legislature has the ability to pass cannabis and other drug reform laws.
Supporters of the bill argued the amendment would help Idaho resist the wave of loosening restrictions on the cannabis plant in neighboring states and throughout the U.S.
“Too many legislatures across this nation have sat back and just waited as initiative after initiative would come after them, until they finally overwhelm it and overwhelm the legislature. We are acting because that’s our responsibility.” — Grow, via the Idaho Capital Sun
The bill is the second piece of anti-cannabis legislation passed in the state this year after the Legislature in February passed a law creating a mandatory $300 fine for low-level cannabis possession charges.
Idaho is one of just a handful of U.S. states that have yet to provide for legal access to cannabis for any reason.
Meanwhile, the “Decriminalize Cannabis Now” campaign to legalize low-level cannabis possession in the state, stopping short of establishing a regulated marketplace, is collecting signatures to qualify for the 2026 ballot. If the campaign succeeds, both questions — one to legalize cannabis, and one to give up the ability to pass legalization laws via citizen-led initiatives — would appear on the ballot.
Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe
Ganjapreneur is made possible by our partners:
