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Petitioners fall short on North Dakota marijuana ballot measure
Supporters of a ballot measure to legalize recreational marijuana through North Dakota's constitution have again fallen short of signatures to prompt a public vote.
Their deadline was Jan. 22 to submit at least 31,164 valid signatures to the secretary of state. They did not do so.
Measure sponsoring committee member Dustin Peyer, of Driscoll, told the Tribune on Sunday that the group gathered 19,500 signatures in its one-year time limit.
Supporters already are forming committees to propose two future ballot measures related to quality and accessibility of medical marijuana -- which is legal in North Dakota -- and use of recreational marijuana by people ages 21 and older, he said.
Peyer said the signature threshold "is a lot of signatures for an unpaid volunteer effort."
"We grew support across the state through a network of small businesses," he said.
"The biggest obstacle is those who are pushing the hardest are disabled, parents, business owners, or have generally a lot going on in their life."
Petitioners also have faced backlash in their efforts, he said.
Measure Chairwoman Jody Vetter, of Bismarck, did not return phone messages or an email regarding signature-gathering.
The proposed measure would have restricted recreational marijuana to people 21 and older, banned its use in public, and allowed the Legislature to license and regulate the industry. The measure also would have allowed home-growing of up to 12 plants.
The effort was another shot after an unsuccessful try in 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic hampered the group's signature-gathering.
Marijuana was a major topic in the Republican-controlled Legislature last year. State representatives brought bills to legalize and tax the drug as an effort to head off Vetter's group, but the Senate killed the House-passed bills, along with one to decriminalize marijuana. The Senate also rejected the introduction of a proposed ballot measure.
Two other proposed ballot measures for voters this year would put term limits on the governor and the Legislature, and would raise the bar for amending the state constitution.
Those petition deadlines are not for a few months.
North Dakota voters in 2016 approved of a state medical marijuana program; in 2018 they rejected recreational marijuana by 59%.
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