Idaho votes Nov. 3 on taking marijuana off the ballot for good
HJR 4 would give only the Legislature power to legalize marijuana, medical included, and end citizen initiatives on it. Two governor candidates say vote no.
Idaho, one of the last fully prohibitionist states, wants to lock the door from the inside. House Joint Resolution 4 would amend the state constitution so that only the Legislature can legalize marijuana, medical marijuana included, along with narcotics and other psychoactive substances. Citizens would lose the ability to do it by ballot initiative. It needs a simple majority on November 3.
Lawmakers sent it to voters in 2025, 58-10 in the House and 29-6 in the Senate, with nearly every Republican in favor and Democrats opposed. Co-sponsor Sen. Scott Grow (R-Eagle) argues it shields Idaho from out-of-state money bankrolling drug legalization campaigns. Constitutional scholar David Adler counters that it asks voters to give up their own initiative power permanently.
At an October 6 governor's forum in Boise, Democrat Terri Pickens and independent John Stegner both said they'll vote no. Republican Gov. Brad Little skipped the event. Context: a medical cannabis initiative turned in more than 150,000 signatures this year but came up short on verified signatures and missed the 2026 ballot.
Why it matters: If HJR 4 passes, Idaho voters lose their only route around a Legislature where nearly all Republicans oppose legalizing even medical marijuana.
