Idaho Senate passes measure that would ban marijuana

The Idaho Senate voted 24-11 in favor of an anti-drug constitutional amendment, SJR 101, on Feb. 3.  

SJR 101 is a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would make the use of psychoactive drugs illegal. This includes the legalization of marijuana and the potential use of medicinal marijuana in the state. If added to the constitution, it would make it difficult for the amendment to be reversed for future possibilities.  

It now proceeds to the House of Representatives where it must win two-thirds support. If passed, the measure will need majority support from voters in the 2022 general election. 

According to District 5 Sen. David Nelson, there are unintended consequences of adding the statutory law to the state’s constitution.  

While 36 states have legalized marijuana to treat pain and other ailments, the growing number of people who use marijuana and the doctors who treat them are caught in the middle of a conflict with state and federal laws, according to Business Insider. Research on marijuana and its active ingredients is highly restricted and often discouraged because the federal government considers it a Schedule 1 drug.  

“It makes it hard to have experimental use with clinical trials involving medicinal marijuana,” Nelson said. 

The stance prevents scientists from conducting the high-quality research required for FDA approval and it leaves patients and physicians without guidance regarding medical treatment for an array of serious conditions that early research has shown marijuana can relieve. According to Nelson, the measure would leave Idaho unable to conduct potential medical marijuana trials in the future.    

If the resolution is added to the Idaho Constitution, it would become a challenge to remove it, requiring the ratification of a new amendment.  

Sen. Lori Den Hartog, who voted in favor of SJR 101, did not respond to requests for comment.  

Sierra Pesnell can be reached at arg–news@uidaho.edu