The Idaho House floor is considering a bill that would impose a minimum $300 fine on adults who possess three ounces or less of marijuana.
In a 10-4 vote on Wednesday, the Idaho House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee advanced House Bill 7 with a recommendation that it pass, following two hours of hearing and much discussion among committee members.
The law would help discourage drug possession in Idaho, according to its author, Rep. Jordan Redman, a Republican from Coeur d’Alene.
After hearing testimony, Redman stated, “Possibly this body should have a conversation for some folks that are dealing with some extremely tough issues. We heard some really compelling arguments in testimony today that dealt with the use of medicinal marijuana.” However, this measure does not accomplish that. This measure merely establishes a minimum penalty.
Critics talk about medical marijuana’s effects on those with low incomes.
Veterans, people with impairments, and criminal defense lawyers were among the seven witnesses who opposed the bill.
Jeremy Kitzhaber, a handicapped veteran who was a civil engineer and first sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, gave one of the most powerful testimony. Kitzhaber informed the committee that he has undergone around 150 rounds of treatment for his stage four cancer.
My oncology teams have repeatedly assured me that they would permit me to use medicinal cannabis if it were legal. He added that it would be helpful for his situation and that it would have been used to reduce pain and increase appetite when he lost over 40 pounds while undergoing chemotherapy.
Kitzhaber claimed that three different kinds of narcotics are administered to him for his suffering. He claimed that he doesn’t risk using marijuana for medical purposes despite his ongoing discomfort because he fears losing his veteran benefits.
According to him, a person undergoing chemotherapy who is on the verge of starvation shouldn’t be fined $300, just like someone else who wants to get high.
Rep. Heather Scott, a Republican from Blanchard, questioned him about if he had thought about relocating to a state that legalizes medical marijuana.
When he mentioned that he lives on disability and military retirement money and can hardly afford his Boise house, he added, “It does cross my mind, but it’s impossible financially.” He stated that relocating to areas like Colorado or California that have Veteran Affairs offices is out of his price range.
According to Monica Gray, the managing attorney for the Idaho State Public Defender’s Ada County Office, this law will unjustly disadvantage poor defendants who are unable to pay for their own legal representation.
According to her, this includes students who are working to advance their education, those with disabilities, those dealing with medical or mental health concerns, and those who are just trying to make ends meet in the current economic climate and high cost of living.
Furthermore, according to Gray, other minor offenses like DUIs, battery, assault, domestic abuse, and child injury do not carry required minimum punishments.
According to Gray, possessing less than three ounces of marijuana would probably be the only common, daily misdemeanor that carries a mandated minimum fine in court.
Idaho GOP and law enforcement support the mandatory minimum bill.
Representatives from the Idaho Family Policy Center, the Idaho Freedom Foundation, and the Idaho Republican Party were among the ten people that testified in favor of the bill.
Ryan Thompson, the executive director of the Idaho Republican Party, informed the committee of a resolution titled “A resolution to support uniform penalty for drugs harmful to Idaho youth” that was passed at the party’s January winter conference.
“I’m just here to report that all of the state committee members at the meeting passed it with overwhelming support,” Thompson said. I’m speaking in place of Dorothy Moon, the chairwoman of the Idaho GOP, who was unable to attend.
Law enforcement officials also testified in support of the bill, including Caldwell Chief of Police Rex Ingram, Nampa Police Department Lt. Jason Kimball, and Idaho Sheriffs Association President Chris Goetz.
According to Ingram, “our association believes that people can pay for that fine if they choose to use narcotics that are already illegal substances.”
The committee decided on a move to hold the bill in committee before sending it to the Idaho House floor. In a vote of 6–8, Rep. Dan Garner, a Republican from Clifton, lost that proposal. The committee’s approval of the second motion opens the door for the bill to eventually reach the Idaho House of Representatives floor for discussion.
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