Marijuana legalization group aims for November election

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A group that wants to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota submitted paperwork Monday to the secretary of state to begin the approval process.

If approved by the secretary of state, the group would need to gather 15,582 signatures by July 11 to get the measure on the ballot for the general election in November.

The proposed measure would allow any person over the age of 21 to use limited amounts of marijuana and purchase products from registered establishments in North Dakota. The measure would put policies in place to regulate retail stores, cultivators, and other types of marijuana businesses.

A similar effort failed in 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic hampered the group’s signature-gathering.

Marijuana was a major topic in the Republican-controlled Legislature last year. State representatives brought bills to legalize and tax the drug, but the Senate killed the bills that were passed by the House.