Idaho Launches Signature Drive for 2026 Medical Marijuana Ballot Initiative

29 October 2025

A new campaign to legalize medical marijuana has started in Idaho. The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho (NMAI) began gathering signatures this week after state officials approved the ballot language for the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, a proposal that could appear on the November 2026 ballot.

The act would permit patients with certain medical conditions (qualifying conditions) to buy limited amounts of cannabis from a few licensed dispensaries. The program would begin with three vertically integrated licenses, with the option to expand to six. Patients could receive up to 113 grams of cannabis flower or 20 grams of THC extract for vaping each month.

The proposal would also move cannabis from a Schedule I to a Schedule II controlled substance under state law. It includes protections in employment, housing, and education for qualified patients. Public use, impaired driving, and sharing products would remain prohibited.

According to NMAI, the plan “takes a careful, Idaho-based approach to health care” and may offer relief for people living with serious conditions.

To qualify for the 2026 ballot, supporters must gather 70,725 verified voter signatures, including at least six percent of voters in 18 of the state’s 35 legislative districts. The group plans to hire paid signature collectors and expects most of 2025 to focus on petition efforts.

The launch led Kind Idaho, another advocacy group, to pause its own broader decriminalization campaign. It now backs NMAI’s measure so that at least one cannabis proposal reaches voters in 2026.

Idaho’s political leadership remains wary. Governor Brad Little and many lawmakers have long opposed marijuana reform. Earlier in 2025, legislators debated several anti-cannabis bills, including one to set a $420 minimum fine for possession and another to ban marijuana advertising. Both failed to pass.

Voters are also expected to decide next year on a constitutional amendment that would limit marijuana legalization to legislative action. If approved, the change could block future citizen-led initiatives on the issue.

If NMAI’s proposal advances, it could represent a rare policy shift in a state that still bans cannabis for both medical and recreational use.