Idaho Senate Passes Anti-Marijuana Constitutional Amendment By 1 Vote

The proposal from Sen. Scott Grow (R-Eagle) would make it impossible for citizens to legalize medical or recreational marijuana – or any other psychoactive drugs not approved for use by the federal Food and Drug Administration.

During debate, Grow referred to Idaho as the “last foxhole” in the region that doesn’t have some form of legalized marijuana.

“Let Idahoans choose whether they want to live in a drug-free state – free from drug culture – or not,” he said.

Idaho is one of 14 states in the country where medical marijuana isn’t legal. It’s also one of just three states in the U.S. that outlaws products, like CBD oil, with trace amounts of THC, the plant’s main psychoactive compound. No amount of THC is legal here.

Grow also called tax revenue from marijuana sales in neighboring states “insignificant,” even though it amounts to hundreds of millions of dollars a year in some cases.

At times, it was an extremely emotional debate. Republican Sen. Van Burtenshaw (R-Terreton) choked up for 30 seconds at one point urging his colleagues to support the measure. [Read more at Boise State Public Radio]