Comparing Idaho’s New Proposed Weed Penalty to Legalization

The political world is moving at lightspeed and amidst all of the headlines, it can be easy to overlook what's happening around us, especially right here in Idaho.

Recently, Idaho lawmakers proposed a new minimum fine for marijuana arrests and as one would expect, this proposal sent Idaho into a frenzy.

What's Idaho's Fine For Being Caught With Weed?

The Idaho House of Representatives recently voted to pass a new bill proposing a new minimum fine for marijuana possession.

"For any amount less than or equal to three (3) ounces net weight, it shall be a misdemeanor and upon conviction shall be subject to a fine of not less than three hundred dollars ($300)," the proposed bill reads.

Many in the Treasure Valley feel the $300 fine is futile and some even argue that Idaho would make more money for the state by simply legalizing and regulating marijuana with fines and oversight.

But... how right are these people? How wrong are they?

How Many Marijuana Arrests Took Place In Idaho In 2024?

In our search, we found it difficult to narrow down just how many marijuana possession arrests took place in 2024. However, we must acknowledge the Idaho State Police Forensics Annual Alcohol/Volatiles and Toxicology Trends for 2024 that did provide some info.

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According to the report, cannabinoids were the second-most common drug that showed up in toxicology reports in 2024. The report also revealed that "91% of all adult DUI Toxicology cases and 95% of all juvenile DUI toxicology cases had at least one drug present in the sample."

How Much Money Is Idaho Losing By Not Legalizing Marijuana?

It's hard to determine just exactly how much money Idaho could be losing by not legalizing and relying on a minimum $300 fine to keep marijuana out of Idaho.

However, we found data from NORML, a pro-legalization organization revealing that 5,178 possession arrests were made in 2023; up 186 arrests from 4,992 in 2022.

As we all know, $300 is the proposed minimum and higher possession amounts could (obviously) result in higher fines. Now, for the sake of argument - let's roll with the proposed minimum fine of $300 and multiply that by ~5,500 marijuana possession arrests.

The money made from these arrests would be around $1,650,000 for the year.*

Now, compare that to what neighboring states like Oregon and Washington make from legalization and the difference is staggering.

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In the third quarter of 2024 alone, Oregon earned a reported $4,631,006 in tax revenue from weed legalization according to the United States Census Bureau.

The US Census also reports that Washington earned a massive $10,340,055 in tax revenue... in just the third quarter of 2024.

*It's important to note that our estimation came from the rising trend of marijuana possession arrests. There would need to be a lot of arrests or massive weed busts to reach the numbers Oregon and Washington are getting.

Should Idaho Get On Board With Legalization Or Keep Imposing Fines?

What do you think? Is Idaho missing out on potential revenue that's going to neighboring states? Or, is Idaho doing the right thing by upholding penalties for marijuana use and possession?

Let us know your thoughts HERE.