BOISE — A coalition of Idahoans supporting the legalization of medical cannabis for people with debilitating medical conditions has received the go-ahead to begin collecting signatures for a ballot initiative for the November 2026 election.

The Boise-based group Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, which was created this year, announced Oct. 29 it is beginning to collect signatures attempting to qualify the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to go before voters in the 2026 general election.

The group filed an initiative petition with the state Aug. 29 and received ballot titles from the Idaho Attorney General’s Office on Oct. 20.

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

The Idaho Medical Cannabis Act seeks to:

• Allow qualifying patients with chronic pain or debilitating conditions like cancer, AIDS, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder or Alzheimer’s to access regulated cannabis for treatment. In order to access medical cannabis, Idahoans would need to apply for a medical cannabis card by presenting medical records showing a diagnosis of a substantial health condition from a medical professional authorized to make such a diagnosis.
• Establish a regulated licensing system for Idaho-based producers and dispensaries.
• Prohibit the public use of medical cannabis, prohibit the sharing of medical cannabis with others and prohibit impaired driving while under the influence of medical cannabis.
• Reclassify cannabis from a Schedule 1 drug to Schedule 2 drug in state law in order to allow for research of medical cannabis.

“This is about giving families and individuals options when nothing else has worked,” said Amanda Watson, communications lead for the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho. “This initiative was created with Idaho values in mind. It would require strong oversight, measures to prevent recreational use and most importantly, it would provide relief for thousands of Idahoans suffering from serious medical conditions. It’s a compassionate, conservative approach to health care.”

The short ballot title for the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act reads: “Measure decriminalizing the use, possession, production, cultivation, transportation, distribution and sale of marijuana by medical cannabis cardholders and production licensees.”

Idaho Legislature strongly opposes marijuana

The new medical cannabis initiative sets up the potential to have two, dueling cannabis questions on Idaho voters’ ballots in November 2026.

The Idaho Legislature, which staunchly opposes marijuana, has already placed a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution called House Joint Resolution 4 on the November 2026 ballot in Idaho. If approved by voters, HJR 4 would make it so that only the Idaho Legislature – not Idaho voters – has the power to legalize marijuana or other narcotics. HJR 4 applies to the growing, possession, use, selling, delivering, dispensing, prescribing, manufacturing or transporting of marijuana or other narcotics.

“Too many legislatures across this nation have sat back and just waited as initiative after initiative would come after them, until they finally overwhelm it and overwhelm the legislature,” state Sen. Scott Grow, R-Eagle, said in March. “We are acting because that’s our responsibility.”

Days before adopting the proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution, the Idaho Legislature also passed another law creating a new mandatory minimum fine of $300 for anyone convicted of simple possession of marijuana.

What is a ballot initiative and how does it work in Idaho?

In Idaho, a ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy where the voters of Idaho – not the Idaho Legislature – decide whether to pass a new law.

To qualify the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act for the November 2026 election, supporters need to gather and verify signatures from at least 70,000 registered Idaho voters, with at least 6% of the registered voters in at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts.

Supporters have until April 30 to collect the required signatures and submit them for verification, Watson said.

If the ballot initiative qualifies for the November 2026 election, it would require a simple majority of voters to approve it.

All of Idaho’s neighboring states, other than Wyoming, either offer medical cannabis like Utah or recreational marijuana, like Washington, Oregon, Montana and Nevada.

Since 2012, different groups in Idaho have tried and failed every two years to qualify a medical marijuana ballot initiative to go on the ballot, state records show.

The Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho is a new, different group that launched this year. In an interview with the Idaho Capital Sun, Watson said the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho will use paid signature-gatherers to collect the necessary signatures by the April 30 deadline. Signature gatherers will be paid up to $5 per valid signature, and organizers are focusing on recruiting signature gatherers at this time.

Information about applying to be a signature-gatherer is available on the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho’s website.

What is the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho?

Public records show that experienced, high-profile legal and communications professionals in Boise have been steering the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to this point.

Watson, president and founder of Boise-based Atlas Strategic Communications, is serving as the communications lead for the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho.

Jeremy Chou, a partner with the Boise law firm/public affairs firm Givens Pursley, represents the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho and submitted official paperwork for the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office.

Records available through the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office indicate the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho is a Boise-based limited liability company that was created Aug. 1.

Givens Pursley Corporate Services, which has the same mailing address and a nearly identical name to Chou’s law firm, Givens Pursley LLP, is listed as the registered agent for the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho.

In addition to the limited liability company, a political action committee, or PAC, has also been recently established in Idaho.

Campaign finance records available through the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office indicate that the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho PAC was created Oct. 23. Those records list Rob Cronin as the treasurer and chairperson of the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho PAC, while the mailing address provided is the same address as Watson’s firm, Atlas Strategic Communications.

The PAC, which is only a few days old, has not reported raising or spending any money as of this article’s publication deadline.