By Jon Hiltz
North Dakota is basically the Planet X of marijuana ballot votes. We know something exists but there has been little scientific study on the inhabitants. A 2014 Forum Poll conducted by the University of North Dakota College of Business and Public Administration found that 47% of residents supported medical cannabis, with 41% opposed.
Although we can’t responsibly estimate the number of North Dakotans who support Measure 5, we do know that a grassroots campaign of sponsors called the North Dakotans For Compassionate Care was able to get marijuana on the ballot. At the very least, Measure 5 shows that North Dakota is willing to listen.
If passed, the measure would allow patients to carry up to three ounces of cannabis. Properly licensed physicians in North Dakota could prescribe marijuana for conditions including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis C, ALS, and a long list of others. In addition, patients who live further than 40 miles from the nearest licensed dispensary would be allowed to grow cannabis.
The Chairperson for North Dakotans For Compassionate Care, Rilie Ray Morgan, said that “Even though we are a conservative state, I think most of the voters in this state would view this as an alternative to prescription drugs that we know are harmful.”
The main opponent of the Measure is the North Dakota Medical Association, and they had considerably more to say on the matter. “The proposed petition would be very difficult to implement in a safe and cost-effective manner. Furthermore, medical marijuana has not been tested or vetted through the Federal Drug Administration’s protocols; all other pharmaceuticals are required to pass this process before consumption. Therefore, dosage, side effects, and contraindications of medical marijuana are not fully known. As an organization that holds evidence-based medicine in the highest regard, the North Dakota Medical Association cannot endorse medical marijuana.”
Regardless of the extra helping of prohibitionism on behalf of the NDMA, if the 2014 numbers ring true, MMJ will be voted into the Peace Garden State on November 8th, giving new meaning to North Dakota’s Garden.
