WELCOME TO LEGALIZE ND


BREAKING NEWS!!

​Donald Trump says he will vote yes on Florida ballot measure to legalize marijuana. Read the story here from NBC News




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BREAKING NEWS!!

Marijuana Legalization will appear on the November 5th, 2024 ballot! You can vote yes on Measure 5 to legalize

This group is completely unrelated to New Economic Frontier but, we obviously support any cannabis reform. 



Since our website hasn't been updated since 2022, most of the information is outdated and related to the 2022 Measure 2, that fell roughly 5% short of passing. Can we make up the difference this time? Presidential Elections have much higher turnout



The 2022 Measure for cannabis legalization has been endorsed by
  • The Forum of Fargo Moorhead
  • The Dickinson Press
  • The Grand Forks Herald
  • The Jamestown Sun
A former Bismarck Police Officer and Attorney talks about how he witnessed first hand, the wasted resources. Currently there are 250 untested rape kits in the state crime lab.
A former Cass County Prosecuter talks about how she witnessed first hand, how a criminal record ruins lives, and impact peoples ability to find housing and jobs. Workforce is a top issue.
An Iraq War Veteran and West Fargo Attorney talks about how veterans cannot get access to medical marijuana for PTSD and debilitating pain. 
A former Police officer and business owner in West Fargo talks about how he supports Measure 2 due to safeguards like limits on THC potency and edibles and how it will generte millions in revenue.

Legalize ND Minot - How do I find a medical marijuana doctor in Ward County, North Dakota?

How do I get medical cannabis in Minot, Surrey, Burlington and Kenmare ND?
To receive medical marijuana in Minot or Ward county, you must first apply for a medical marijuana card. That includes an application fee and background check. If the card is approved, you must have a doctor certify you have an eligible condition. (see the list below) You can't just use any doctor, the law states you must have an established relationship with the doctor. 

What if my doctor will not certify me?
Unfortunately, most doctors in Ward county, including Minot, do not certify patients for medical marijuana. If your doctor will not certify you have the condition, you cannot go find another one since you would not have a Bonefide relationship. 

How can I get medical marijuana in Minot ND?
The only way to ensure the people of Minot, Surrey, or Burlington can get medical marijuana, is to support full legalization. Unless most of the doctors suddenly change their way of thinking, it is never going to be available. Full legalization will allow all North Dakotan's 21+ - the abilty to purchase up to 2 oz of legal and safe cannabis from a licensed dispensary, much like a liquor store.

The 10% tax will be used to fund infrastructure and schools and will push the Mexican drug cartels out of Ward County. We can stop the madness of locking up our citizens (while giving them a criminal record) for the posession of a plant that is objectively safer than alcohol. This measure will regulate marijuana much like alcohol and tobacco and give communities like Minot local control and the ability to opt out. It will also set strict rules on the sales, marketing and safety of marijuana. It will regulate advertising, labeling, child proof containers, and lock and key laws. Legalize ND is in the process of collecting signatures for a measure that will appear on the 2020 Presidential Election. If it passes, you won't need to get medical marijuana.


What MM conditions are covered in North Dakota?
Agitation from Alzheimer's disease or related dementia
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
Anorexia nervosa
Anxiety disorder
Autism spectrum disorder
Brain injury
Bulimia nervosa
Cachexia or Wasting syndrome
Cancer
Chronic or debilitating disease
Crohn's disease
Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
Endometriosis
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Hepatitis C
HIV/AIDS
Interstitial cystitis
Intractable nausea
Neuropathy
Migraine
Multiple sclerosis
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Rheumatoid arthritis
Seizures
Severe and persistent muscle spasms
Severe debilitating pain
Spinal stenosis
Tourette syndrome

What can I do now?
You can contract your local medical provider and tell them you demand the doctors certify you.

Trinity Health
General hospital
1 W Burdick Expy · (701) 857-5000
Open 24 hours

Trinity Hospital - Saint Joseph's
Hospital
407 3rd St SE · (701) 857-5000
Open 24 hours

Trinity Health - South Ridge
No reviews · Private hospital
1500 24th Ave SW #103 · (701) 857-5343
 
How do I support the cause?
1) Sign the petition
2) Vote yes (November 2020 if we get enough signatures)
3) Donate (we need money to fight the big business interests, click the button below)
4) Convince your friends and family to vote yes.
5) Promote www.LegalizeND2020.com on social media

Minot, Surrey, Burlington, Kenmare, Berthhold, Sawyer, Des Lacs, Makoti, Carpio, Ryder, Douglas, Donnybrook, ND.

Legalize ND has compiled the official crime and work force injury data in legal marijuana states. These statistics show that crime and workforce injuries have not shown increases and in many cases, have actually decreased.



2021 Study: Legal Marijuana States See Reduced Workers’ Compensation Claims

Data shows decrease in workforce injuries and crime in legal marijuana states

John Strand - Fargo City Commisioner

Tony Gehrig - Fargo City Commisioner 

Andrew Sadek Documentary on Sundance Now TV

"The Dakota Entrapment tapes is now available on Sundance Now TV. If you are not familiar with the Andrew Sadek story, we encourage you to watch.

We have also learned that the popular show Still A Mystery on "Investigation Discovery (ID Channel) will feature the story of Andrew Sadek in 2021. To follow the story, join the Justice for Andrew Sadek Facebook group
US HOUSE PASSES FEDERAL MARIJUANA DECRIMINALIZATION

The House of Representatives Approves Bill to End Federal Marijuana Prohibition!

The MORE Act, HR 3884, removes marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act — thereby eliminating the existing conflict between state and federal marijuana laws and providing states with the authority to establish their own cannabis laws free from undue federal interference. The Senate is expected to vote on this 



North Dakota State Crime Lab has 250
Un-Tested Rape Kits, Many Over 1 Year Old!! 


The North Dakota State Crime lab is so backed up, as of October 2022, there are 250 untested rape kits. Many are over a year old.

The crime lab spends a significant amount of time and resources processing petty marijuana charges. When someone is busted with a pipe, they have to prove that the residue is marijuana and not CBD or Delta 8. So they send it to the crime lab in Bismarck and give it to scientists, who tests the sample to confirm what the substance is. It either comes back positive for THC or negative. 

These tests are expensive, time consuming and have overwhelmed the crime lab since there are thousands of marijuana cases. Meanwhile victims of rape and sexual assault are waiting over a year to test the DNA of their attacker
READ MORE



Support our farmers & agriculture industry!

A responsible system of legal cannabis will create jobs and support the North Dakota’s agriculture economy. Legalization could benefit hemp farmers by and make it easier for farmers to enter the CBD oil market, which is expected to be a 137 billion dollar industry by 2029. (Source: Bloomberg)

Maine legalized cannabis in 2020 and it recently surpassed potatoes and blueberries to become the states largest crop. READ MORE

Help fix our workforce shortage. Stop giving our residents a criminal record for a victimless crime!

North Dakota is facing a significant workforce shortage. We've all seen the stores that have been forced to close due to staffing issues. Cannabis laws are making the problem worse. In North Dakota, 175,000 people have been charged with marijuana possession in recent years. The best way to avoid this is to not make people criminals to begin with. Did you know a marijuana charge on your record could make you ineligbile to do the following?

- Obtain a federal student loan (source)
- Rent an apartment
- Join the military
- Participate in certain career fields
- Obtain a professional business license 
- Work in a daycare
- Adopt a child 

- Work in the oil fields (Some companies do a background check)

Support Law Enforcement and free up police resources!

The bigger tax payer savings will be the indirect savings. To prosecute someone takes time, taxpayer money and wastes police resources. It backs up the court system and is very expensive. It costs the taxpayers upwards of $40,000 to jail 1 person for a year. ($39,271 for 2015 data) That money is better spent elsewhere. We could support law enforcement by using that savings to increase funding and hire more police officers!

Also the ND state crime lab is almost 1 year behind processing. There are over 250 unprocessed rape kits, many over a year old. Spending hours testing thousands of pipes for marijuana resign seems to be a waste of resources. These tests can cost up to $5,000 each. No wonder the crime lab is running out of money and has seen their budget slashed.

There are many things we could do with the savings. Workforce is a top issue today. For the cost of jailing somone for a year, we could send 7 people to a tech school or 4 people to a 4 year college for a year.
Tourism Industry - Cannabis Tourism Is Now A $17 Billion Industry—And It’s Just Taking Off

According to this Forbes article, 50% of millennials (age 26-41) consider access to cannabis important when choosing a vacation destination and 43% have chosen a destination solely on availability.

By 2025, 50% of travelers in the U.S. are going to be millennials
Also alcohol consumption is dropping by generation. Research shows that 53 percent of Millennials said they consumed alcohol in the past month, compared with 65 percent of Gen Xers and 72 percent of Baby Boomers. Gen Z (up to age 25) consumes 20% less alcohol than Millenials


If a millenials find cannabis availability important when choosing a place to travel, do they consider it important when choosing a place to live?

Right now 19 states are legal plus DC. Its legal in Canada and 6 more US states will be on the ballot. South Dakota is expected to pass it a 2nd time. If North Dakota doesn't pass it, the state will be in the minority. READ THE ARTICLE


Generate Tax Revenue

There is no way to estimate the black market since drug cartels don't pay taxes, but we can look to similar sized states. Montana legalized cannabis in 2020 and is on pace to generate nearly $600 million in revenue for the biennium (2 year budget). They are just getting started. Montana is closest in population to North Dakota with roughly 29% more people. If you adjust for population (29% less people) and use a similar 20% tax rate, North Dakota should be a $425 million dollar biennial industry and generate nearly $85 million in tax revenue for the biennium. For reference, the Prairie Dog Fund is roughly $250 million. Obviously this is ballpark math but we think it's a reasonable conservative estimate. Also a $200+ million dollar annual industry would rank in the top 20 for the state. Initially, only sales tax will apply but the legislature will be in charge of adding any additional taxes, like they proposed in 2021. What if we used this revenue to reduce taxes?

We are surrounded by legal markets! The black market is dangerous and the cartels go where a market exists!

Cannabis is legal in...

  • Canada to the north
  • Montana to the west
  • South Dakota to the south. (voted to legalize, was legal, was illegal pending appeal, lost appeal but will be voting again in 2024 and it is expected to pass again)
  • Minnesota to the east 

Currently, marijuana is legal in 19 states + DC. Edibles are legal in Minnesota. Canada is legal. Sydney Australia is legal.


6 more states, including ND may be on the ballot on November 8th, 2022. Nebraska submitted signatures and is awaiting validation.​​ Update Nebraska won't be on the ballot
The Black Market is DANGEROUS!
It's time to end the failed policy of cannabis prohibition in North Dakota.


The drug cartels own the marijuana market and bring crime and dangerous thugs to North Dakota. They don't pay taxes. They don't ID kids or test their product to make sure it is safe. Sometimes, they try to sell buyers hard drugs and put the buyer in a dangerous world. 

The epitome of the failed war on marijuana is the Andrew Sadek story. He was a college kid from Valley City North Dakota, who was facing 40 years for selling $80 worth of marijuana in a parking lot on a college campus in Wahpeton. He was told he could avoid prison time by becoming an informant, which he did. He was found dead in the Red River with a gunshot wound to the head and backpack full of rocks. The gun was never found. They determined it was a suicide (guilt?) but most  people believe it was murder, possibly from drug cartels. 

We hand the market over to the drug cartels to sell to our citizens. Then we punish our own people, simply for possessing the product. Did you know under the law, possession of hashish or concentrates on a college campus could be considered a class B felony? Punishable by a fine of up to $20,000 and/or a term of imprisonment up to 10 years. Did you know simple possession of more than 1/2 oz of cannabis is still a misdemeanor, punishible by jail time?


When jailed, it costs the taxpayer nearly $40,000 per year! After they are released from jail, they have a criminal record which could prevent them from getting housing, joining the military, getting a federal student loan, a good job and even adopting a child. For a state that is having major workforce issues, this policy is a complete disaster.

 ​​
Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Drunk Driving, Safer Roads, & Lower Insurance: Study On Auto Insurance Data Suggests

(Journal Health Economics 6 year study 2014-2019)
Marijuana Legalization Linked To Reduced Drunk Driving And Safer Roads, Study On Auto Insurance Data Suggests

Legalize CBD
Fargo Police say you could be charged with a Class B Misdemeanor for buying or selling CBD, unless you have a medical marijuana card.

Some people belive CBD Oil has health benefits, but according to this article, you could be charged criminally for buying it.


Valley News Live - 4/18/19  
Is CBD legal? It depends who you ask


READ THE STORY


Marijuana Tied To ‘Significant Reductions’ In Prescription Drug Use, Researchers Find

Legalizing marijuana is associated with decreased use of prescription drugs for the treatment of conditions such as anxiety, sleep, pain and seizures, according to a new research paper. 

Researchers used data from Medicaid reporting on prescription drugs from 2011 to 2019, using two-way fixed effects event study models to determine whether there’s a statistically significant relationship between giving adults legal access to regulated marijuana and the use of pharmaceuticals for six different conditions.

The study found that there are “significant reductions in the volume of prescriptions within the drug classes that align with the medical indications for pain, depression, anxiety, sleep... READ MORE

Earier studies concluded legal marijuana can reduce opioid deaths by as much as 25%

WHAT WILL LEGALIZATION DO FOR NORTH DAKOTA?

We can finally fix the Medical Marijuana system that the voters approved back in 2016

Measure 5 - The ND Medical Marijuana program - was approved on Nov 8, 2016 by 63.79% of the voters! Home grow for people who lived more than 40 miles from the nearest dispensary was in the original bill, but for some reason it was excluded. The list of qualifying conditions is very minimal and participation has been extremely low. According to this article from June, 2019 - only 380 cards were issued. Many doctors will not certify a patient has a condition. Numbers have increased over time, but it is still one of the most restrictive programs out there. 

HERE IS AN EXCERPT OF THE 2016 MEASURE 5 THAT THE VOTERS APPROVED 

"A qualified patient could be dispensed up to three ounces of usable marijuana, and could and could grow marijuana if his or her home is located more than forty miles from the nearest registered facility." 

As of today, no medical patient can grow their own. Since the Legislature hasn't fixed what the voters approved almost 6 years ago, it's apparent they have no interest in honoring it. It's ignoring the will of the people. This will fix that by allowing everyone access.

Also veterans dealing with PTSD cannot get medical cannabis, since the VA will not approve it. By legalizing adult use, veterans can easily access this.



Color Chart
Green - Legal
Orange - Legal THC Edibles but will be legal in 2024
Purple - May be voting on legalization, submitted signatures
Mexico is decriminalized as of June 2022

Where is cannabis legal? No state that has legalized has gone back to prohibition.
Kelly Armstrong votes yes on 4 Marijuana Bills and gets a B- Rating from NORML

Kelly Armstrong votes yes on 4 Marijuana Bills and gets a B- Rating from NORML
2022: Medical Marijuana Research Act, HR 5657
2021: SAFE Banking Act, HR 1996
2019: The SAFE Banking Act, HR 1595
2019: Blumenauer/McClintock/Norton Amendment to Protect Legalization


Learn about the measure on this short podcast
Mark Friese is a former law enforcement officer and current defense attorney. Back in 2018, he was a vocal opponent of legalization. Fast forward to 2022 and he is now a sponsor for New Approach ND. Although he doesn't approve of cannabis use in general, he is supportive of Measure 2 and good policy