North Dakota Lawmaker Sponsors Adult-Use Cannabis Legalization Bill

North Dakota Rep. Jason Dockter has sponsored an adult-use cannabis legalization bill, despite his opposition to legalizing cannabis in the state, according to The Dickinson Press.

Dockter believes legalization is inevitable as more states regulate cannabis within their borders, the news outlet reported, and says lawmakers should draft a legalization proposal instead of leaving the issue in the hands of a ballot initiative campaign.

North Dakota voters approved medical cannabis legalization in 2016, but rejected a 2018 measure that would have legalized adult-use.

Legalize ND backed a 2020 campaign to get adult-use legalization in front of voters last year, but ultimately refocused its efforts on the 2022 election after the COVID-19 pandemic largely derailed its signature gathering efforts.

Dockter’s House Bill 1420 would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess and transport up to one ounce of cannabis or an equivalent amount of edible cannabis products, The Dickinson Press reported. Cultivators and dispensaries would be licensed under the bill to produce and sell cannabis products, according to the news outlet, and the state Health Council would ultimately establish rules to regulate these businesses.