Yo, so let’s talk about what’s poppin’ in the streets lately. Florida been makin’ headlines ’cause they tryna legalize adult-use cannabis and North Dakota ain’t tryna be left behind. They out here tryna make moves to get their own recreational market goin’ this November.
A bunch of folks from North Dakota, like 27 of ’em, filed a petition to put a measure on the 2024 ballot to legalize adult-use cannabis. They gotta get signatures from about 15,582 North Dakota voters by July 8 to make it happen.
The New Economic Frontier committee is behind this new measure. They tryna let adults over 21 possess small amounts of cannabis and buy stuff from registered cannabis businesses in the state.
Steve Bakken, who chairs the New Economic Frontier, said that cannabis legalization is comin’ fast and they gotta make sure they the ones callin’ the shots. They want this initiative to be tailored to what the community really needs, with common sense and local input guidin’ the way.
The committee believes that legalizing adult-use cannabis will ease up on the criminal justice system and help North Dakota grow economically. They think it’ll help law enforcement focus on serious crimes, improve public safety, save money, and make sure cannabis products are safe for consumption. Plus, it’ll make it easier for veterans and folks with medical conditions to access cannabis.
Casey Neumann, CEO of Pure Dakota and Pure Dakota Health, said he’s seen how medical cannabis helps people deal with conditions like cancer, anxiety, and chronic pain. He also mentioned how legalizing cannabis would benefit the state through taxation and create economic opportunities for North Dakotans.
The committee estimates that the U.S. cannabis industry could rake in $38.4 billion in revenue by 2024, create 400,000 jobs, and bring in more funding for local schools and programs in North Dakota communities.
Now, this ain’t the first time North Dakota tried to make moves towards legalizing adult-use cannabis. They had a shot at it back in 2018 but got rejected by voters. Then in 2022, they tried again with Statutory Measure 2 but didn’t get enough approval either.
However, North Dakota did manage to legalize medical cannabis through Measure 5 in 2016. The state Legislature later tweaked it to stop patients from growin’ their own cannabis plants. In 2019, Gov. Doug Burgum signed off on reduced penalties for cannabis possession, but it’s still considered a misdemeanor with potential jail time and fines.
South Dakota also had their own shot at recreationally legalizing cannabis in 2022 but got shut down by voters as well. Meanwhile, Minnesota went ahead and legalized cannabis in 2023, lettin’ residents grow, possess, and smoke weed. Sales expected to kick off in 2025.
Now with Minnesota gettin’ their act together next door, North Dakota might feel some pressure to follow suit. They don’t wanna miss out on all that business and tax money flowin’ into other states just ’cause they laggin’ behind.
So now it’s up to the secretary of state and attorney general to draft a petition title for this new measure in North Dakota. We’ll see if they can get things rollin’ smooth this time around. Stay tuned for more updates on this movement towards legalizin’ adult-use cannabis in North Dakota.
