Penalties in Idaho could change under latest law targeting already-illegal marijuana

BOISE (Idaho Statesman) — Possessing marijuana in Idaho could soon be punishable by a minimum $300 fine.

Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, introduced a bill Thursday to add the mandatory minimum penalty, because he said first-time offenders receive punishments with inconsistent sanctions. The new minimum fine would not apply to minors.

“We do not want this to become a marijuana state,” Skaug told the committee. “In no state where marijuana has been legalized, I would argue, has it been made a better place to live or a safer place to live.”

Last year, Skaug introduced a bill to implement mandatory minimum fines for marijuana possession of $420 — a wink at cannabis culture. It did not make it out of committee over concerns that the penalty was too harsh.

During Thursday’s hearing, Skaug said that impairment from marijuana can last from three days to up to a week, but didn’t offer additional information to back his claim. Depending on how the drug is consumed, a high from marijuana lasts between a few hours to up to 12 hours, though in some cases that can extend to a full day, according to the Canadian health ministry.

Twenty-four states and Washington, D.C., have legalized recreational marijuana, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Cannabis is legal in all of Idaho’s bordering states except for Wyoming. Utah allows only medical marijuana.

In states with medical marijuana, the substance can be prescribed by a doctor, including to treat a variety of conditions such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, severe nausea and Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

In past years, activists in Idaho have tried and failed to legalize medical marijuana through a ballot measure. It failed to get enough signatures to make it to the ballot.

Regardless, legalizing medical marijuana appears to be widely supported by Idahoans, according to a 2022 public opinion poll conducted by the Idaho Statesman and SurveyUSA. It found that 68% of respondents believe marijuana should be allowed for medicinal use.

The same poll found 48% of Idahoans thought recreational marijuana should be legal, and 85% thought people should not be jailed for possessing a “small amount” of pot. Of the respondents, 42% said it should remain illegal.

Skaug’s bill will be scheduled for a public hearing in a House committee.