Proponents of an initiative to legalize recreational marijuana in North Dakota have already gathered over half of the required signatures to make the November 2024 ballot.
In late April, North Dakota Secretary of State Michael Howe gave approval to the initiative, sponsored by the nonprofit political committee New Economic Frontier. This gave the group one year to collect 15,582 signatures from registered North Dakota voters in order to put their marijuana legalization measure to a vote. If the signatures are gathered by July 8, the initiative will be voted on this November. If signatures are collected after July 8 the measure would be placed on the 2025 general election ballot.
Now, the group says that they have collected and internally verified around 8,500 signatures, over 50% of the required amount. Given these were collected in just five weeks, the group says they’re “optimistic” that they can make this year’s presidential election ballot.
The proposed initiative would allow those 21 and older to possess up to one ounce of marijuana, four grams of marijuana concentrates and 1500 milligrams of adult-use cannabinoid products (300 milligrams of this can be in the form of edible products). The initiative would also allow the personal cultivation of up to three marijuana plants, and it would allow marijuana and marijuana products to be purchased through licensed marijuana stores.
If New Economic Frontier is successful in getting their initiative on this November’s ballot, North Dakota will join Florida and South Dakota as states voting this year on recreational marijuana initiatives.
