Idaho: Medical cannabis fails to make 2026 ballot

The Idaho ballot initiative campaign in support of a medical cannabis program has failed to collect the needed amount of qualified signatures to land a spot on the 2026 ballot. The campaign, led by the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, put in its best effort to collect signatures with a limited budget to work with. 

According to Secretary of State Phil McCrane, the campaign collected 58,024 verified signatures (70,725 are required to make the ballot). Initially, the campaign collected over 150,000 signatures. However, ballot measure campaigns also need to retain 6% of the registered voter threshold in 18 of the 35 legislative districts in Idaho. With this high signature threshold, the task was challenging, and a lack of funding hindered the campaign’s success. 

Strict regulatory adherence and an abundance of signatures are the only way ballot measures — especially those to legalize medical or adult-use cannabis — have a chance of qualifying. 

In a brutal missed opportunity to bring a medical program to the Gem State, the 2026 ballot will only have a prohibitionist measure left when it comes to drug policy. During the 2025 legislative session, Idaho lawmakers passed a measure, HJR 4, for the 2026 ballot. The House overwhelmingly passed the amendment (58-10), and the Senate passed it 29-6.

HJR 4 is a prohibitionist amendment that, if passed, would impede any freedom for Idaho residents to put medical or adult-use cannabis on the ballot in the future. It is incredibly concerning that lawmakers believe only they can hold the key to knowing what is best for Idahoans. Especially when veterans, cancer patients, folks with epilepsy, among others, have pleaded for a medical cannabis program for years with no movement from the legislature. 

Needless to say, with HJR 4 on the ballot, it is even more troubling that Idahoans will not have the chance to legalize medical cannabis this election year.