Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
Idaho is an island among states that have legalized recreational and medical marijuana. While Oregon, Washington and Colorado have given their residents the right to smoke or ingest cannabis at their discretion, Idaho has yet to legalize even prescription medical marijuana. And according to some Idaho senators, that isn't going to change anytime soon.
But some residents of Idaho are pushing to put medical marijuana on the ballot.
New Approach Idaho, a nonprofit group, is looking to decriminalize recreational marijuana and legalize medical marijuana in Idaho. The group is circulating a petition throughout Idaho to legalize medical marijuana, decriminalize recreational marijuana and legalize industrial hemp in Idaho.
The group hopes to collect enough signatures on its petition to run the measure in November 2016.
The group started eight years ago under the name Compassionate Idaho and petitioned for medical marijuana. When the group disbanded, many members moved to Oregon where medical and recreational marijuana is legal.
Bill Esbensen, New Approach's president, and Dave Davis, the group's vice president, decided to stay in Idaho and keep petitioning for a change.
"We're carrying the torch," Esbensen said. "We're stronger now than ever. We've collected more signatures, we have teams across the state that are hitting their goals, we moved into our new office, we got new financial support and we're just getting bigger."
Davis said the petitions need more than 40,000 signatures statewide before all the options appear on the ballot. The number of signatures depends on each legislative district. Canyon County includes districts 10 through 13 and part of district 9. Ada County includes districts 14 through 22. Over 11,000 signatures would be needed in these districts, not including the other hundreds of signatures required from each district statewide.
Esbensen and Davis said their group has faced a lot of opposing opinions from legislators when it comes to marijuana laws.
"We've talked to legislators personally to try and make the move," Esbensen said. "The House tried to pass an oil bill. The bill passed, but the governor vetoed it."
Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said he and other state politicians are not completely against the use of medical marijuana. Instead, they would like to see more research done before fully legalizing medical marijuana in Idaho, he said.
"We hope the national research would occur and deal with these issues," Winder said. "If it's something specific dealing with a specific issue, it could gain support."
Medical Marijuana
When it comes to medical marijuana laws, the issue is personal for both Davis and Esbensen.
Davis served in the Vietnam War and said he has been suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder ever since. At one time, he was prescribed 22 medicines.
"I wasn't taking them all at once, but they were active," he said. "My pharmaceutical sheet was four pages long. All they did is make me crazy. Even my wife didn't want anything to do with me because I'd have these manic episodes."
After trying medical cannabis, Davis said he went from 22 prescription drugs to four, none of which was for his PTSD.
Davis joined the original group, Compassionate Idaho, after he moved from Washington. He wants to help other veterans who suffer from PTSD. He said smoking medical marijuana helped him see his psychiatrist and doctor less, helped him sleep and helped him have fewer manic issues.
Winder said there is not a lot of support for medical marijuana, especially in use of juveniles, even though surrounding states, such as Colorado and Washington, have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana.
"They are basically blue states," Winder said. "Idaho is a predominately red state that is family-oriented. Until that changes, it is going to be difficult for any type of legalization to occur in Idaho."
Winder said he would be surprised if medical marijuana gained enough traction to appear on an election ballot.
"On one hand, it may sound like a good idea," he said. "But in our culture today, it is still a bad thing for our youth, and it creates many social problems."
Information packets handed out by New Approach Idaho states medical marijuana can treat 16 different diseases and illnesses including:
- Crohn's disease
- Types of cancer
- Glaucoma
- Epilepsy
- Alzheimer's disease
- Anxiety disorders
- Autism
- Hepatitis C
- PTSD
Winder said there is not enough specific research done for the Idaho senators and legislators to pass a medical marijuana bill safely. He said the reason the bill to legalize cannabidiol oil for children with epilepsy was passed was because a specific study showed benefits of the medicine.
"I don't think anybody wants to deny people medicine," he said. "But just because somebody says in an anecdote what the benefits are doesn't mean that it's medically good for them."
Recreational Marijuana
Esbensen said New Approach Idaho would like to decriminalize recreational marijuana by targeting the law that penalizes Idaho residents for carrying 3 ounces or less of marijuana.
"We propose that three ounces or less is an infraction with a $50 fine," Esbensen said. "Just like a parking ticket. There is no judge, and there is no record. We quit putting people in jail, we free up our court systems and we free up money to fight other crimes."
Esbensen and Davis propose half the money from the fine should go to the Idaho Department of Education.
New Approach believes the tax benefits from medical and recreational marijuana would benefit the state and help fund different departments, such as education.
According to the Colorado state government's official website, $7.9 million was generated through medical and recreational marijuana taxes in the 2015-16 fiscal year, as of August. This is up from the $5 million made the year before.
Winder said the amount of taxes being brought in through marijuana sales in states like Colorado do not make up for the societal issues the states are facing.
"We could tax a lot of vices that people enjoy in this world," he said. "I don't think just because you raise some tax dollars means you should. That's the poorest excuse to change your societal and family values."
New Approach Idaho has not reached their petition signature goals yet, leaving the future of medical and recreational marijuana up in the air.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Organization Wishes To Gain 40,000 Signatures
Author: Danielle Wiley
Contact: Email The Author
Photo Credit: Adam Eschbach
Website: Idaho Press
But some residents of Idaho are pushing to put medical marijuana on the ballot.
New Approach Idaho, a nonprofit group, is looking to decriminalize recreational marijuana and legalize medical marijuana in Idaho. The group is circulating a petition throughout Idaho to legalize medical marijuana, decriminalize recreational marijuana and legalize industrial hemp in Idaho.
The group hopes to collect enough signatures on its petition to run the measure in November 2016.
The group started eight years ago under the name Compassionate Idaho and petitioned for medical marijuana. When the group disbanded, many members moved to Oregon where medical and recreational marijuana is legal.
Bill Esbensen, New Approach's president, and Dave Davis, the group's vice president, decided to stay in Idaho and keep petitioning for a change.
"We're carrying the torch," Esbensen said. "We're stronger now than ever. We've collected more signatures, we have teams across the state that are hitting their goals, we moved into our new office, we got new financial support and we're just getting bigger."
Davis said the petitions need more than 40,000 signatures statewide before all the options appear on the ballot. The number of signatures depends on each legislative district. Canyon County includes districts 10 through 13 and part of district 9. Ada County includes districts 14 through 22. Over 11,000 signatures would be needed in these districts, not including the other hundreds of signatures required from each district statewide.
Esbensen and Davis said their group has faced a lot of opposing opinions from legislators when it comes to marijuana laws.
"We've talked to legislators personally to try and make the move," Esbensen said. "The House tried to pass an oil bill. The bill passed, but the governor vetoed it."
Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, said he and other state politicians are not completely against the use of medical marijuana. Instead, they would like to see more research done before fully legalizing medical marijuana in Idaho, he said.
"We hope the national research would occur and deal with these issues," Winder said. "If it's something specific dealing with a specific issue, it could gain support."
Medical Marijuana
When it comes to medical marijuana laws, the issue is personal for both Davis and Esbensen.
Davis served in the Vietnam War and said he has been suffering from severe post-traumatic stress disorder ever since. At one time, he was prescribed 22 medicines.
"I wasn't taking them all at once, but they were active," he said. "My pharmaceutical sheet was four pages long. All they did is make me crazy. Even my wife didn't want anything to do with me because I'd have these manic episodes."
After trying medical cannabis, Davis said he went from 22 prescription drugs to four, none of which was for his PTSD.
Davis joined the original group, Compassionate Idaho, after he moved from Washington. He wants to help other veterans who suffer from PTSD. He said smoking medical marijuana helped him see his psychiatrist and doctor less, helped him sleep and helped him have fewer manic issues.
Winder said there is not a lot of support for medical marijuana, especially in use of juveniles, even though surrounding states, such as Colorado and Washington, have legalized both recreational and medical marijuana.
"They are basically blue states," Winder said. "Idaho is a predominately red state that is family-oriented. Until that changes, it is going to be difficult for any type of legalization to occur in Idaho."
Winder said he would be surprised if medical marijuana gained enough traction to appear on an election ballot.
"On one hand, it may sound like a good idea," he said. "But in our culture today, it is still a bad thing for our youth, and it creates many social problems."
Information packets handed out by New Approach Idaho states medical marijuana can treat 16 different diseases and illnesses including:
- Crohn's disease
- Types of cancer
- Glaucoma
- Epilepsy
- Alzheimer's disease
- Anxiety disorders
- Autism
- Hepatitis C
- PTSD
Winder said there is not enough specific research done for the Idaho senators and legislators to pass a medical marijuana bill safely. He said the reason the bill to legalize cannabidiol oil for children with epilepsy was passed was because a specific study showed benefits of the medicine.
"I don't think anybody wants to deny people medicine," he said. "But just because somebody says in an anecdote what the benefits are doesn't mean that it's medically good for them."
Recreational Marijuana
Esbensen said New Approach Idaho would like to decriminalize recreational marijuana by targeting the law that penalizes Idaho residents for carrying 3 ounces or less of marijuana.
"We propose that three ounces or less is an infraction with a $50 fine," Esbensen said. "Just like a parking ticket. There is no judge, and there is no record. We quit putting people in jail, we free up our court systems and we free up money to fight other crimes."
Esbensen and Davis propose half the money from the fine should go to the Idaho Department of Education.
New Approach believes the tax benefits from medical and recreational marijuana would benefit the state and help fund different departments, such as education.
According to the Colorado state government's official website, $7.9 million was generated through medical and recreational marijuana taxes in the 2015-16 fiscal year, as of August. This is up from the $5 million made the year before.
Winder said the amount of taxes being brought in through marijuana sales in states like Colorado do not make up for the societal issues the states are facing.
"We could tax a lot of vices that people enjoy in this world," he said. "I don't think just because you raise some tax dollars means you should. That's the poorest excuse to change your societal and family values."
New Approach Idaho has not reached their petition signature goals yet, leaving the future of medical and recreational marijuana up in the air.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Organization Wishes To Gain 40,000 Signatures
Author: Danielle Wiley
Contact: Email The Author
Photo Credit: Adam Eschbach
Website: Idaho Press
