North Dakota Voters Reject Cannabis Legalization Proposal

North Dakota voters on Tuesday rejected adult-use cannabis reforms in the state 53% to 47%, the North Dakota Monitor reports. It marks the third time in six years that voters in the state have voted down the reforms. 

In an interview with the Monitor, Pat Finken, chair of the Brighter Future Alliance, which opposed Measure 5, said the results showed voters understood “that today’s marijuana is not safe and legalization will only add to the addiction and mental health crisis already punishing North Dakota families.”  

“Once again, the voters of North Dakota have wisely rejected an attempt to legalize recreational marijuana.” — Finken via the Monitor 

While North Dakota legalized cannabis for medical use in 2016, they opposed adult-use reforms in 2018 with 59% of the vote and again in 2022 with 55% of the vote.  

Steve Bakken, former Bismarck mayor and chair of the measure’s sponsoring committee, told the Monitor that he is concerned that the next legalization attempt would come from out of state and that it won’t “be as conservative as the fabric of North Dakota.”  

If approved, the initiative would have legalized possession of up to 1 ounce of flower, four grams of concentrates, 1,500 milligrams of THC in manufactured cannabis products, and 300 milligrams of edibles. Individuals would have been allowed to grow three plants with a limit of six plants per household.