North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong (R) today signed House Bill 1203 into law, formally adding regulated edible products to the state’s medical marijuana program.
Cannabis lozenge.
Introduced in January by Representative Jim Vetter (R) with a bipartisan roster of cosponsors, the bill cruised through the Legislature with a 42 to 3 Senate vote on April 4 and a 70 to 21 House vote on April 15.
Under HB 1203, only state-approved manufacturing facilities may produce edibles, and dispensaries must secure written authorization from the Department of Health and Human Services before stocking or marketing them. The law confines edibles to lozenges and square, geometric food items such as bars or chews to discourage products resembling common candies. Each package must be child-resistant, resealable, opaque and limited to 50 milligrams of THC in total, with serving-by-serving potency clearly displayed. Labels must use black Arial font and include THC content per piece, full ingredient lists and manufacturer information.
Before any edible reaches patients, the Department must review and approve its form, manufacturing process, packaging, labeling and marketing strategy, then adopt rules to enforce those standards statewide.
The legislation expands upon the state’s medical cannabis law, which was approved by voters in 2016.
