Idaho Medical Cannabis Legalization Ballot Initiative Falls Short of Signature Goal
Idaho voters will not vote whether to legalize medical cannabis in November after advocates fell short of the required number of valid petition signatures. Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane’s office said the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, the group seeking to put the question to voters in November, failed in “both in total number of signatures and required legislative districts.”
The secretary of state’s decision comes after an Idaho judge ruled earlier this month that some 900 signatures would not be counted after a contractor working for the advocacy campaign dropped off the signatures five minutes late to the Minidoka County Clerk’s Office. Following that ruling, Amanda Watson, a spokesperson for the Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, said the group “got a very significant number of signatures over the required amount” and were “confident” they had surpassed the threshold.
In a statement provided to news outlets following the secretary of state’s decision, Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho said the organization “oversaw this effort actively and in good faith” and that “third-party validation prior to submission indicated significantly higher validity than was returned.” The group said it planned to review “the findings county by county.”
“As the campaign progressed, we saw signs that our original signature gathering vendor’s operation was disorganized, but when concerns were raised we were assured that legal requirements, including requirements related to reporting and residency, were being followed and signatures were on pace to surpass the threshold. It appears that our confidence was misplaced. The Secretary of State’s letter describes missed deadlines, circulator documentation and payment disclosures and petition materials prepared incorrectly or submitted late. We take every claim in that letter seriously and no one wants answers more than we do. We believe every statement made in the letter originated with our initial vendor. None of our concerns extend to the second firm we brought in late in the drive, whose work was professional throughout. (The alliance) has zero tolerance for signature fraud or prohibited conduct and will cooperate fully with any review.” — Natural Medicine Alliance of Idaho, in a statement, via the Idaho Capital Sun
The effort could be the last in Idaho to legalize cannabis through a ballot measure. In November, voters in the state will vote on a constitutional amendment that would put the authority to to legalize cannabis and other psychoactive or narcotic substances solely in the hands of state lawmakers. That amendment would require a simple majority of voter support to become law.