COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho — Idaho voters could decide in November whether to allow medical marijuana, as a petition effort has gathered over 100,000 signatures despite strong government opposition.
The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho collected the signatures to place medical marijuana legalization on the November ballot, though the organization still faces hurdles to meet all ballot requirements.
William Shockley supports the petition after his mother used medical marijuana for terminal bone marrow cancer.
“It helped her pain so much, and it prolonged her life an additional six months on the three months that they gave her to die,” Shockley said.
The Idaho Legislature passed a resolution earlier this year urging residents not to support the ballot initiative.
State Sen. Ben Toews said the resolution reflects Idaho’s values.
“This is not good for our state, it doesn’t fit our values,” Toews said. “It talks about the detrimental impacts of having marijuana legalized, even just medical marijuana.”
Medical marijuana advocate David Koontz emphasized the humanitarian aspect.
“I think that’s why it’s so important that this will hopefully get passed this November is that Idaho is helping other Idahoans and getting them the help that they need,” Koontz said.
Idaho remains one of the few states without any form of legal marijuana.
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