BOISE, Idaho — Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill on Monday that mandates a $300 minimum fine for low-level marijuana possession. It goes into effect this summer.

House Bill 7, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, a Nampa Republican, will make the financial penalty for having even a small amount of marijuana higher than almost any other misdemeanor in Idaho. That includes a number of violent crimes, such as assault, battery, domestic violence and attempted strangulation, The Idaho Statesman previously reported.

Mandatory minimum penalties typically apply to more serious drug-related violations, said Paul Armentano, deputy director of marijuana legalization advocacy group NORML, which stands for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. Armentano told the Statesman he is unaware of any other U.S. state that has imposed mandatory minimum penalties for marijuana possession.

Sentencing guidelines for misdemeanors in Idaho are generally up to $1,000 in penalties and up to a year in jail, but judges have the discretion to impose a range of penalties, including no fine at all, the Statesman previously reported. Defendants must also generally pay for court costs and fees related to their case, which are separate from a fine and typically total hundreds of dollars.

Possessing up to 3 ounces of cannabis is a misdemeanor under Idaho law. Over that amount is a felony, punishable by as much as $10,000 fine and up to five years in prison.

All but one of Idaho’s surrounding states has marijuana legalization of some sort, the Statesman previously reported. Cannabis is approved for medical and recreational use in Oregon, Washington, Nevada and Montana. It is allowed only for medical use in Utah.

Idaho is among just a handful of states where marijuana remains fully illegal. Wyoming, South Carolina and Kansas are the others.

The increased fine in the new law starts July 1.

_____

©2025 The Idaho Statesman. Visit idahostatesman.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.