Dragging Out Implementation of Medical Marijuana May Result in Total Legalization

August 13, 2018 T. Arthur Mason North Dakota

It’s official. North Dakota’s voters will get to decide whether recreational use of marijuana becomes a reality for those 21 and older. Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s office announced Monday that they had validated a sufficient number of signatures. Legalize ND will have their initiated measure on the November 6th ballot.

Less than a week ago KFYR-TV reported that North Dakota patients may have to wait until 2019 for medical marijuana. As you may recall, the initiated measure known as Measure 5 passed by a significant margin in November of 2016 when nearly 64% of voters supported legalizing medical marijuana. But after realizing that the measure didn’t decriminalize it, the legislature took the issue up during the 2017 Legislative Session and gave it an overhaul with Senate Bill 2344. Governor Doug Burgum signed it into law by mid-April of that year and reports were that medical marijuana would be available within 12 to 18 months.

Now, for the second time in two years, the people of North Dakota will once again get to speak out on the issue of marijuana at the ballot box. If total legalization becomes a reality, it may be due to the fact that the state drug their feet on implementing what voters clearly said they wanted the first time.

 

Sources:

  1. http://inforum.com/news/government-and-politics/4485026-north-dakota-voters-decide-whether-legalize-recreational
  2. http://legalizend.com/
  3. http://www.kfyrtv.com/content/news/ND-patients-may-have-to-wait-until-2019-for-medical-marijuana-490283941.html
  4. https://ballotpedia.org/North_Dakota_Medical_Marijuana_Legalization,_Initiated_Statutory_Measure_5_(2016)
  5. https://www.legis.nd.gov/assembly/65-2017/bill-actions/ba2344.html
  6. https://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/north-dakota-health-department-begins-implementing-new-medical-marijuana-law/article_e46f51fd-f932-50b0-9d55-902bd28798f8.html
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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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