North Dakota voters overwhelmingly approved Measure 5, the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act by over 60% majority. With 68.1% of precincts reporting, 63.8% of voters approved the measure, which was largely led by grassroots efforts. Earlier this evening, voters in Florida also approved allowing medical marijuana.
Patients would be allowed to possess up to three ounces of medical marijuana once the measure becomes law. Public consumption of marijuana, as well as driving under the influence of marijuana, would remain illegal.
“More than half the states in the country now have medical marijuana laws, thanks to the decisions tonight by North Dakota voters and those in Florida,” said Tom Angell. “To be candid, very few people in our movement expected this result, and it happened with almost no coordination or major assistance from national organizations.”
“The fact that North Dakotans approved medical cannabis with an effort that was largely off the radar of most political operatives shows that truly any state could be the next to change its marijuana laws. Marijuana is medicine, and now North Dakotans will be able to utilize it without fear of being sent to jail.”
The proposal will authorize state licenced medical marijuana dispensaries, or compassion centers, to provide patients with medical cannabis. Registered patients or their designated caregivers would be allowed to grow a up to eight cannabis plants if a dispensary is not available within 40 miles of their home.
The initial qualifying conditions for North Dakota’s proposed medical marijuana program are HIV/AIDS; Hepatitis C; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease); post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD); Alzheimer’s disease or dementia; Crohn’s disease or Fibromyalgia; spinal stenosis or chronic back pain; glaucoma; epilepsy; ;cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe debilitating pain; intractable nausea; seizures; or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including but not limited to those characteristic of multiple sclerosis.
The Department of Health will be given the ability to add additional qualifications under guidelines established in the proposal.
Tags: 2016 Election, ballot iniatitives, Election 2016, North Dakota, North Dakota Compassionate Care Act, North Dakota medical marijuana, North Dakotans for Compassionate Care, Yes on 5