Advertisment: Rimol Greenhouse Systems » Rimol Greenhouse Systems Order 72 » CBT ROS 970x250 Billboard July 2025 » CBT billboard Rimol

North Dakota Cannabis Legalization Issue Struck Down

Voters, who approved a medical marijuana law in 2016, did not support the mission and intent of Legalize ND.

Bismarck

Despite favorable poll numbers, North Dakota’s Issue 3, an adult-use cannabis legalization ballot measure, failed Nov. 6. Voters shot the issue down by a wide margin of 60 to 40.

The measure would have immediately decriminalized cannabis for adults 21 and older, and the ballot language included a directive to seal all past records of cannabis-related crimes in the state. “This model is 100-percent plug-and-play,” David Owen, chairman of Legalize ND, told Cannabis Business Times earlier this year.

Advertisment: Cannabis Business Times » Cannabis Business Times Best Cannabis Companies to Work For » CBT Best Companies 2026 ROS Parallax Reveal » bcc-ads-730x570
Advertisment: Cannabis Business Times » Cannabis Business Times Best Cannabis Companies to Work For » CBT Best Companies 2026 ROS Parallax Reveal » bcc-ads-730x570

Voters, who approved a medical marijuana law in 2016, did not support the mission and intent of Legalize ND.

Advertisment: Frank Mayer » Frank Mayer Order 84 » CBT ROS Medium Rectangle 300x250 July 2025 » CBT Web Ad - July 2025

"I’m very pleased that the people of North Dakota have rejected this wild measure that was so poorly drafted," Bob Wefald, chair of North Dakotans against the Legalization of Recreational Marijuana, told the Bismarck Tribune. "It was such an overreach; it would’ve been a disaster for the state of North Dakota had it passed." (Wefald also told the newspaper that he’s open to supporting a a more limited decriminalization policy in the future.)

Advertisment: Hanwha Vision » Hanwha Vision Order 78 » CBT ROS 300x250 Medium Rectangle July 2025 » D53_Cannabis-Business-Times_300x250_v1

North Dakota failed to join Michigan in that state’s successful attempt to bring cannabis reform into the geographic heart of the country. 

Top photo courtesy of Adobe Stock

Advertisment: Frank Mayer » Frank Mayer Order 84 » CBT ROS Medium Rectangle 300x250 July 2025 » CBT Web Ad - July 2025
Advertisment: Hanwha Vision » Hanwha Vision Order 78 » CBT ROS 300x250 Medium Rectangle July 2025 » D53_Cannabis-Business-Times_300x250_v1
Page 1 of 7
Next Page
Advertisment: Greentank » Greentank Order 111 » CBT ROS Mobile Adhesion 360x120 July 2025 » GT AC ADS 600X200@2x