The nonprofit political group Kind Idaho has announced that they will soon unveil an initiative to decriminalize marijuana, with the goal of putting it to a vote of the people in 2025 or 2026.
“Our 2023-2024 campaign has concluded and we did not meet the requirements to get on the ballot”, said Kind Idaho in a social media post. The group was referring to a medical marijuana initiative they were hoping to place on this year’s ballot, but fell short of the required signatures. “Thank you to everyone that signed, donated, volunteered!”
The group says “We will be restructuring and rebranding soon to be focused on patient advocacy in general and our next ballot initiative will be aimed at cannabis decriminalization. More information to follow.”
They continue by saying “In 2024-2026 we will be pursuing personal use and home cultivation decriminalization. You don’t need to register for a card, get a license to personal grow, go to a doctor to renew your prescription, and you get to choose what works best for you. You should not need permission from the state for basic self-care.”
Joe Evans, Kind Idaho’s Treasurer, tells us “Our goal is to allow greater flexibility in the Idaho medical community in working with patients who are active in managing their physical and mental health and reducing interactions with police for self care. Decriminalization gave the greatest opportunity by maximizing privacy, reducing the burden on the medical community for regulating it, and raising the threshold for police and legal involvement. ”
Evans says “We see this as a win for cannabis reform and it’s relationship to healthcare and justice reform. This also avoids the dangers of corporatization and mass production associated with allowinging an industry and large scale resale market within the state.”
Under current Idaho marijuana law, the possession of even a miniscule amount of marijuana is punishable by a misdemeanor, an $1,000 fine and up to one year in prison. If possessing over three ounces (but less than a pound), the charge is a felony, a $10,000 fin, and up to five years in prison. Possessing a pound or less is considered “with intent to distribute” and carries a mandatory minimum of one to five years depending on the amount.
When it comes to marijuana cultivation, growing even a single plant is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison.
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