North Dakota Cannabis Program Updates

North Dakota Cannabis Program Updates
While cannabis in North Dakota is currently only legal for medical patients, advocates are pushing to get the Flickertail state on board with adult-use legislation.

Since 2019, possession of cannabis under half an ounce is decriminalized, though anyone caught possessing small amounts of cannabis may be subject to a criminal infraction fine. Additionally, hemp cultivation is legal in North Dakota.

The state may be slowly warming up to cannabis, but that doesn’t mean the issue has a majority appeal. In fact, the state’s 2018 attempt to legalize cannabis in North Dakota was rejected by 59% of voters, with just 41% voting in favor of the proposed legislation. Voters again rejected proposed legislation in 2022, this time with a margin of 55% to 45%. But North Dakota adult-use cannabis legislation may make it on the 2024 ballot this November. The proposed legislation would make it legal for adults over 21 to possess up to one ounce of cannabis, 4g of concentrates, and 300mg of edibles. Home cultivation would be allowed for up to six plants per household, too.

North Dakota cannabis market potential
Medical marijuana sales in North Dakota totaled more than $21 million in 2023. MJBizDaily projects the state to bring in up to $25 million in sales for 2024. These numbers cover just under 10,000 registered patients in the state with more than 779,000 people.
With the US cannabis market expected to reach nearly $40 billion in 2024, North Dakota cannabis advocates are eager to tap into the potential, especially as neighboring states Montana and Minnesota reap the economic benefits of the legal market.

Recent polling
Recent polling suggests that the latest attempt to legalize recreational cannabis in North Dakota may fail again. The majority of North Dakota respondents, once again, were against the legalization of adult-use cannabis. The report, from Brighter Future Alliance, shows around 57% of voters opposing the measure, with 43% in favor.

Still, advocates are pushing forward. In June, advocates reported that more than half of the required signatures to get the legislation on the ballot had been collected. By July–shortly before the results of the Brighter Future Alliance poll–advocates claimed to be just a few hundred signatures short of the required number.

The future of North Dakota cannabis

Though we are still waiting to see if recreational cannabis will make it on the November ballot for North Dakota voters, recent polling suggests that advocates will have a lot more work to do to win over cannabis-opposed voters in the state. We’ll be keeping a close eye on the next steps to see if North Dakota will be the next state to join in on the legal cannabis market.

Are you interested in obtaining a cannabis business license in North Dakota? Call us to speak with an industry expert at 602-290-9424.

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