Filed Under: Big Brother & The Withholding Company
Idaho lawmakers have made it crystal clear where their priorities lie: not with their citizens, not with science, and certainly not with personal freedom. Instead of addressing real issues—like affordable healthcare, veteran support, or crime—they’ve decided to wage war on marijuana users, passing a bill that enforces a mandatory $300 fine for possessing less than three ounces of cannabis.
This bill, now sitting on Governor Brad Little’s desk, is a slap in the face to reason and justice. With 24 states fully legalizing marijuana and 38 allowing medical use, Idaho is proudly doubling down on a failed prohibitionist policy. The message is loud and clear: it’s not about public safety—it’s about control.
Idaho loves to talk about personal responsibility, small government, and staying out of people’s lives. But when it comes to marijuana? Suddenly, they’re all for government overreach and big-brother-style punishments. What problem is this bill solving? Because it sure as hell isn’t a crime. Arresting and fining everyday Idahoans for simple possession doesn’t make the state safer. It doesn’t stop violent crime, it doesn’t curb addiction, and it doesn’t help struggling communities. It just creates more criminals out of otherwise law-abiding people.
The reality is that Idaho has one of the lowest crime rates in the nation—so why are lawmakers wasting their time pushing a harsher weed policy when the state isn’t facing some massive marijuana-fueled crime wave? It’s manufactured hysteria.
This $300 fine isn’t just a punishment—it’s a revenue-generating scheme. Idaho’s government knows that legalizing marijuana would bring in millions in tax revenue, just like it has for their neighbors in Montana, Washington, and Oregon. But instead of following the money and allowing a regulated, legal cannabis market, they’re choosing to shake down Idahoans through penalties and fines.
And what does Idaho lose by clinging to prohibition? A booming industry that could generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue. In 2024 alone, Illinois reported over $2 billion in marijuana sales, bringing in nearly $500 million in tax revenue. New York is closing in on $1 billion in its first year of legalization. Oregon collected $150 million in cannabis tax revenue in 2023 alone. These are real numbers that are fueling schools, public safety, infrastructure, and drug treatment programs. Idaho could be using marijuana tax revenue to fund programs that actually reduce crime, invest in education, and help communities. Instead, lawmakers are handing that money to the black market and throwing Idahoans under the bus with fines and jail time.
There’s one group that gets completely screwed over by this law more than anyone: veterans. Thousands of Idaho’s servicemen and women rely on medical marijuana to manage PTSD, chronic pain, and service-related injuries. For many, cannabis is the only alternative to opioids and other addictive pharmaceuticals that the VA doles out like candy. And yet, this bill ensures that they will continue to be treated like criminals for choosing a safer option.
The irony is unbearable: Idaho politicians will wrap themselves in the flag, take photos at veteran fundraisers, and give speeches about honoring our troops—but the moment those same veterans need medical marijuana, they’re slapped with a fine and treated like criminals. These are men and women who put their lives on the line for this country, and the state of Idaho is repaying them with fines, arrests, and ruined records for seeking relief. They didn’t hesitate to send these people off to war, but now they refuse to let them access the medicine that could help them heal. How is that anything but un-American?
So, Governor Brad Little—what’s it going to be?
Will you sign this regressive, cash-grabbing, anti-veteran piece of legislation into law? Will you make Idaho one of the last states clinging to outdated policies that don’t serve the people?
Or will you acknowledge the overwhelming evidence, the shifting national landscape, and the basic principle that adults should have the right to make their own choices about marijuana without government interference?
Because here’s the truth: This isn’t about safety. This isn’t about crime. This is about control. And Idahoans are watching.
If you’re an Idaho citizen who cares about personal freedom, economic progress, and veterans’ rights, now is the time to speak up. Call or email Governor Little and let him know that this bill is a disgrace. Tell him you support medical access for veterans, decriminalization for citizens, and an end to these draconian fines. Idaho can do better, but only if its people demand it.
- Email Governor Brad Little: governor@gov.idaho.gov
- Call his office: (208) 334-2100
Your voice can make a difference. Stand up for veterans, patients, and the right of all Idahoans to be free from unjust laws.
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