2012 North Dakota medical marijuana initiative possible
The North Dakota Legislature’s 2011
session adjourned on April 28 without the introduction of medical marijuana
legislation. Currently, a patient dying of cancer in North Dakota who uses
medical marijuana to treat her chemotherapy-induced nausea could go to
jail simply for trying to stay alive. Sadly, a medical marijuana bill has
not been introduced in the last several legislative sessions. It's important to
let your legislators know that this issue is important to you. Please send a
letter asking them to introduce a bill to protect these patients during the next
session.
North Dakota did pass one
positive sentencing reduction bill in 2011. S.B.
2251 reduces the crime of delivery of 100 pounds of marijuana from a special
marijuana-only Class A felony to a more general Class B felony with a lesser
sentence. It was signed by the governor on April 26.
In exciting news, MPP is looking
into the possibility of working with local activists to propose a medical
marijuana initiative to go on the ballot for the 2012 presidential election
cycle. Nothing is definite yet, but if you are interested in helping out with
the initiative, please email state@mpp.org
and include “Initiative Volunteer” as the email subject so we can contact you
as plans move forward.
If you are supportive and are a
medical professional, a seriously ill patient who might benefit from medical
marijuana, a law enforcement official, a clergy member, or a member of the
legal community, or you know someone else that is, please email state@mpp.org
to see how you can be of special help. Please include your address or
nine-digit ZIP code.
Learn
more about North Dakota's marijuana laws
North Dakota has some of the
harshest marijuana laws in the country. First offense possession of even a
single joint is punishable by up to a year in prison and up to a $2,000 fine.
You can learn more about North Dakota’s marijuana penalties and enforcement by reading this
report by Jon Gettman, PhD.
You can send a letter
to your legislators asking
them to reduce the penalty for possession of marijuana to a civil fine
or asking them
to end marijuana prohibition entirely.
Stay
connected
To stay updated on the status of
marijuana policy reform in North Dakota, be sure to subscribe to
MPP’s free legislative alert service.
