HJR 4Constitutional amendment · Put on the ballot by lawmakers
Legislature controls drug legalization
Explain it like I'm 5
Today, people can collect signatures to ask voters about changing drug laws. This would make only the Legislature able to legalize marijuana or similar drugs, like letting only the principal change one special school rule.
Yes vote
Only the Idaho Legislature could legalize marijuana, narcotics, or other psychoactive substances.
No vote
Citizens would keep the ability to propose drug-legalization laws through Idaho's initiative process.
The question to ask yourself
Should citizens retain initiative power over drug legalization, or should that authority belong only to legislators?
The case for
- Legislators can hold hearings and write detailed rules for complex health and safety issues.
- Supporters say ballot campaigns can change policy without enough legislative review.
- The Legislature could revise a law more easily than voters could revise an initiative.
Backed by: Keep Drugs Out of Idaho, Republican state legislators
The case against
- The amendment removes voters' initiative power on an important policy area.
- Lawmakers could refuse to act even if public opinion changes.
- A constitutional restriction is harder to reverse than an ordinary law.
Opposed by: ACLU of Idaho, Marijuana Policy Project, Kind Idaho
- Money
- No direct cost or tax effect was identified in the cited sources, so the ongoing cost is not estimated.
- Don't be misled
- This does not immediately legalize or ban marijuana, because it changes who may legalize it rather than changing current drug law.