Idaho voters will not have the opportunity to decide on a proposed medical cannabis measure during the upcoming November election after state officials ruled that the initiative failed to satisfy legal qualification standards.
The decision was announced by the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office, which determined that the proposed Idaho Medical Cannabis Act Initiative didn’t collect enough valid support to earn a place on the statewide ballot.
According to a letter sent to the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho (NMAI), the organization leading the campaign, the petition effort failed to meet several statutory requirements established under Idaho election law.
To qualify for the ballot, supporters were required to collect signatures from at least 6% of registered voters in 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts. Overall, the campaign also needed approximately 70,000 valid signatures statewide. State officials reported that organizers submitted about 58,000 signatures and reached the required threshold in only 13 legislative districts, leaving the proposal well below the necessary benchmark.
The Secretary of State’s office also identified additional concerns discovered during the review process. Among them was a signature associated with an individual who had died about five years ago. Officials further found signatures connected to people whose voter registrations had previously been removed from the state’s records.
The review also uncovered issues involving campaign documentation and financial reporting. In addition, the officials said they could not verify the Idaho residency of 293 petition circulators. Under state law, only Idaho residents are permitted to collect signatures for ballot initiatives.
The letter stated that the shortage of qualifying signatures at both the statewide and legislative district levels was, by itself, enough to reject the filing. It added that the other findings only reinforced the decision and were not needed as separate grounds for disqualification.
The NMAI responded in an emailed statement, saying it conducted the campaign honestly and intends to cooperate with any official review. The organization explained that it hired a professional signature-gathering company because its members lacked experience managing a statewide petition drive. It said the group relied on that firm to complete the work in accordance with Idaho law while maintaining confidence in the state’s established ballot initiative process.
The organization said its mission was driven by the belief that people living with severe and chronic medical conditions should have access to alternatives to prescription opioid medications. It also argued that Idaho residents should have the freedom to make personal healthcare choices without unnecessary government interference.
Campaign finance filings show the organization spent approximately $2.7 million in its unsuccessful effort to place the proposal before Idaho voters this November. Medical marijuana firms around the country, such as Trulieve Cannabis Corp. (CSE: TRUL) (OTCQX: TCNNF), will be disappointed that patients in Idaho will have to wait longer before they can legally access medical marijuana products to manage their symptoms.
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