“We could be looking at upward of 175 to 179 thousand who have this issue.” That’s what Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem said on this episode of Plain Talk, referring to a streamlined process to allow those with minor convictions for marijuana-related crimes to apply for pardons. Stenehjem sits on a constitutionally-established board which makes recommendations…
Ballot Measure Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in State Constitution Submitted to Secretary of State
Back in May a ballot measure, proposing an amendment to the state constitution legalizing recreational marijuana, was submitted to the Secretary of State’s office for approval to circulate. It was then withdrawn with the organizers saying they needed to fix the language. Which was a good thing because language looked like it was something slapped…
Plain Talk: Legalize ND Organizer Explains New Proposal to Make Recreational Marijuana Legal
David Owen, one of the organizers behind Legalize ND, discusses his group’s new proposal to make recreational marijuana legal in North Dakota. It’s a very different proposal, with a lot more restrictions, compared to what the group proposed during the 2018 election cycle. Owen also explained why his group is continuing to pursue expungement for…
It Would Be a Mistake for Marijuana Proponents to Try for Expungement Again
When it comes to ballot measures there’s a paradoxical political dynamic at play. When a given measure is short, and simple, the rallying cry against it is that it’s too vague. But when ballot measure committees seek to flesh out their proposals, they usually run into a real problem with trying to make more detailed…
Plain Talk: Defense Attorney Says a North Dakota Drug Testing Law Is Unconstitutional
The state Legislature requires some drug defendants to be drug tested while out on bail and awaiting trial, but this requirement has become a real problem. Defense attorney Mark Friese of the Vogel Law Firm spoke about it on this episode of Plain Talk. Some defendants can’t afford the testing, Friese said, and end up…
New Study Suggests Legal Marijuana Doesn’t Reduce Opioid Problems
Back in 2014 a study was released suggesting a strong connection between legal marijuana and decreased overdoses from opioid abuse. It looked at data from 1999 to 2010, and found that states that ended marijuana prohibition to one degree or another had an average of 25 percent lower rate of opioid overdoses. What’s more, that…
Print Column: North Dakota’s Pro-Marijuana Movement Has Fractured Making Legalization Far Less Likely
MINOT, N.D. — There is a very large faction of North Dakotans who want marijuana legalized for recreational use. After approving medical marijuana in 2016, over 132,000 voters – more than 40% of turnout – voted to legalize recreational marijuana in 2018. Not a majority, but certainly a strong minority. Something for activists to build…
Plain Talk: Legalize ND Spokesman Doesn’t See Rival Ballot Measure as Competition
There is some fracturing going on in the pro-marijuana movement in North Dakota, but on this episode of Plain Talk a spokesman for Legalize ND says he doesn’t see the new group as competition. “Their sponsoring committee looks more like a penitentiary,” David Owen told me, referring to the number of serious crimes members of…
Marijuana Amendment Supporters Withdraw Measure for “Language Changes”
Yesterday we got news that a group of activists had submitted a petitions to be approved for circulation in support of a constitutional amendment to legalize the growth and use of marijuana and to mandate state-backed research into the same. This morning, however, the group withdrew their measure. The reason? “Language changes,” John Bailey, chairman…
Constitutional Measure to Legalize Marijuana Has Sponsoring Committee With a Spotty Background
Secretary of State Al Jaeger’s office has received for review a petition backing a constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana. While I support legalizing marijuana, this proposed policy is a terrible idea, all the more so because the policy would be enshrined in the state constitution. Where this sort of policy ought not be. But more…