MARIJUANA: Don’t legalize it, Idaho

I’m strongly opposed to legalizing “medical” marijuana. I care deeply about those with serious health problems. I simply do not believe that legalizing a crude street drug is the right way to help them. 

Voters should read the actual language of the petition now being circulated. It is very different from the way it’s being described by its sponsors and the people gathering signatures. If this initiative passes, state agencies would be required to create and oversee both the manufacturing and sale of marijuana, with up to 16 dispensaries operating across Idaho. In addition, marijuana could be purchased online and delivered in person. That amounts to a statewide, on-demand marijuana marketplace. 

The initiative also allows virtually anyone to obtain a “medical” marijuana card. The list of “substantial health conditions” is so broad that it includes common issues such as anxiety and insomnia. This proposal would not require any medical recommendation from a doctor to use marijuana. 

In other states, broadly written laws and the normalization that followed have effectively created recreational use under the banner of medicine.  Talk to people who have moved here from those states. Many will tell you what they’ve seen and why they came to this beautiful place. Idaho should not follow the path of Oregon, Washington, Colorado, and California, where expanded drug use has coincided with increased crime, reduced public safety, and greater youth access. 

Again, don’t rely on slogans or campaign talking points. Read the initiative carefully. Then look across the border and decide whether life is better with marijuana available everywhere. This proposal is recreational drug use disguised as medicine. For a better Idaho, do not sign this petition.

MICHAEL ACKLEY

Hayden