Supporters of A He proposed a medical cannabis ballot initiative in Idaho he said they have collected more than 100,000 signatures and are making a final push to qualify the proposal for the November general election ballot by April 30.

A group called the Idaho Natural Medicine Alliance hopes to legalize medical cannabis as a treatment option for Idahoans with debilitating illnesses such as cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, AIDS, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease.

Under Idaho law, cannabis means the same thing as marijuana, and the two terms are sometimes used interchangeably.

Currently, all forms of cannabis are illegal in Idaho, but recreational marijuana or medical cannabis is available in every state bordering Idaho except Wyoming.

Supporters said they want to legalize medical cannabis to give people with serious illnesses and chronic pain an alternative to opioid medications.

“Hundreds of people have emailed us about how they have PTSD or epilepsy and they’re driving across the border and illegally buying gummy bears because they want some dignity in their custody, in their state, but they can’t get it, and they’re still getting these things because they’re there and they’re available,” said Amanda Bomanise Wason of the initiative. “This framework includes a very strong regulatory, limited access and medical program.”

Opposition is leading the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature, which is pushing a competitive marijuana measure on the November ballot and urging voters to reject the medical cannabis ballot initiative.

“Idaho’s Medical Cannabis Act is not guaranteed to the extent that it would effectively legalize the widespread recreational use of marijuana,” Idaho lawmakers warned in a resolution passed earlier this month.

Who’s behind Idaho’s medical cannabis ballot initiative?

Rob Cronin, a Sun Valley businessman who has opened several restaurants in Idaho and across the country, is president and treasurer of the Natural Medicine Alliance PAC.

In an interview last week, Cronin said his experience as a cancer survivor and his friendship with the late Dr. Dori Tunney, a physician and philanthropist, inspired him to push the medical cannabis ballot initiative.

Tunnery was diagnosed with glioblastoma and treated his pain with opioids, which led to severe side effects, reduced appetite and severe physical decline, Cronin and Watson said.

In treatment in California, where cannabis is legal, Tunney tried medical cannabis jelly and Cronin and Watson said his appetite and sleep returned to normal and his pain decreased.

Cronin and Watson said Tunney began advocating for the legalization of medical cannabis in Idaho in 2022, a push he continued until his death in 2024.

Cronin said she also experienced serious side effects when she used opioids after surgery after cancer treatment. Cronin said today he weighs 175 pounds, but his weight has dropped to 119 pounds due to nausea, loss of appetite and sleep loss caused by opioids.

“The pain was excruciating and I was hammering the Vicodin like it was going to go out of style,” Cronin said. “I can say in my head all day that I would choose an alternative to opioids over cannabis, because opioids put you on that funky roller coaster of, ‘Oh, I feel better. Oh, I’m depressed, and my life is bad. Oww, now I’m in pain. Another opioid. Oh, I’m depressed again and my life is bad.’ It really messes with your head.”

Cronin and Watson said they met while volunteering with Tunney to help cancer patients in Idaho. Cronin and Watson said they support the measure to try to finish Tunney’s job before the Idaho Legislature tries to further curtail the ability of voters to legalize medical cannabis in Idaho.

Watson said most of the funding for the initiative comes from an investment in Double Springs Ranch, owned by Tunney and her husband. The ranch is located in central Idaho and produces hemp and hemp fiber and raises Black Angus cattle.

What is a ballot initiative and what will it take to get medical cannabis on the November ballot?

In Idaho, a ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy in which Idaho voters—not the Idaho Legislature—vote on whether to pass a bill.

Organizers say they are taking the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to voters as a ballot initiative because the Idaho Legislature has not taken action to legalize medical cannabis.

All states surrounding Idaho other than Wyoming offer medical cannabis, such as Utah, or recreational marijuana, such as Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Nevada.

To qualify for the November general election, organizers must collect signatures from 6 percent of registered voters statewide, or 70,725 valid signatures. In addition to the total gross, organizers must also collect signatures from 6 percent of registered voters in at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts.

The period for verifying the signatures of the State will end on April 30.

“I would say we’re cautiously optimistic,” Watson said Friday. “Right now, we’re collecting thousands of signatures a day to make sure we cross that threshold every legislative session. There are some rural areas in Idaho where we’re working really hard to get that 6 percent. Right now, we’ve collected over 100,000 raw signatures.”

The Idaho Natural Medicine Alliance is using paid signature gatherers in an effort to qualify the initiative for election. The alliance pays $25 an hour plus incentives, Watson said.

If the initiative qualifies for the November general election, it would need a simple majority of votes to pass.

Why is the Idaho Legislature against cannabis?

If the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act makes it to the ballot, there would be marijuana-related questions on the November ballot.

The Idaho Legislature has already come out against medical cannabis and placed an amendment to the Idaho Constitution on the November ballot. If approved by a majority of voters, it would be House Resolution 4 make it so that only the Idaho Legislature, not the voters, can legalize marijuana or other narcotics.

“Too many legislatures in this nation have sat and waited for initiative after initiative to come after them until they finally get overwhelmed and pass the legislature,” Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, said last year. “We are acting because that is our responsibility.”

In the 2025 legislative session, the Idaho Legislature and Gov. Brad Little (R) passed a law that creates a mandatory minimum fine of $300 for anyone convicted of simple possession of marijuana, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.

This year, the Idaho Legislature also passed Senate Resolution 127, which encourages Idaho voters to reject a medical cannabis ballot initiative.

In the resolution, lawmakers warn that legalizing marijuana and medical cannabis has created problems for other states and would increase the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s budget and costs at a time when state revenues are uncertain.

Idaho lawmakers have also complained that the requirements for obtaining a cannabis medical card would be so low that almost anyone would be able to obtain one.

“The 18 medical conditions to qualify for a cannabis license, including insomnia, anxiety and acute pain, are so broad that almost anyone can qualify,” Idaho lawmakers wrote.

On Thursday, Idaho Secretary of State officials said 10,232 signatures have been submitted so far, and the office has deemed 4,698 of those signatures valid.

How would Idaho’s Medical Cannabis Act work?

Here’s how Idaho’s Medical Cannabis Act would work for the November election if a majority of Idaho voters pass the act.

• Idahoans would be able to apply for a renewable cannabis medical card by submitting medical records showing a significant or terminal health condition such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, MS, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain.
• Meanwhile, the state would initially issue three medical cannabis production licenses statewide, allowing a licensee to grow, produce, distribute and sell medical cannabis to people with a valid Idaho cannabis license. When Idaho’s population increases by 650,000, additional production licenses could be issued, bringing the total to six in the state. The production license application process requires a valid Idaho hemp license in good standing, submission of an operational plan, background checks and the use of a supervising pharmacist.
• This law allows each licensee to operate up to six retail locations, two facility locations, a fulfillment center, a warehouse, and a distribution center.
• For individuals with an Idaho medical cannabis card, online ordering, delivery and pickup at distribution centers would be permitted.
• Using medical cannabis in public and sharing medical cannabis with someone who does not have an Idaho cannabis card would be prohibited by law in Idaho. It would also be illegal to drive, operate a ship, operate aircraft, operate heavy machinery or drive a train under the influence of medical cannabis.