Idahoans’ support for medical marijuana has grown, but it might not be reflected in the Legislature

August 12, 2020
AggregatedNews
Idaho
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Ten years ago, when Bill Esbensen first began working with activists to push for some form of legal marijuana in Idaho, someone threatened to beat him up for it.

He was at a Willie Nelson concert in Boise, trying to collect signatures to get an initiative to legalize marijuana on the ballot. As he remembered it, the man who wanted to attack him for collecting signatures was probably older than 80.

“That was the attitude of people back then,” he said.

Esbensen has worked on multiple attempts to legalize medical marijuana in the decade since. Public opinion on the topic in Idaho has shifted during that time, he said on Aug. 4, citing a poll from the firm FM3 Research that shows 72% of Idahoans are in favor of legalizing marijuana for medical purposes. The poll took place in April 2019 and included 400 Idahoans.

“Now you’re standing in line at Albertsons and the 75-year-old grandmother in front of you is talking about it,” he said.

Once again this year, Esbensen worked with the Idaho Citizens Coalition to gain enough signatures to place an initiative on the November ballot to legalize medical marijuana. [Read more at Idaho County Free Press]

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