With nearly all votes counted, a ballot measure to legalize adult-use marijuana failed in North Dakota.
A little more than 53% of voters rejected Measure 5, which would have legalized a recreational cannabis market, according to the latest tally from The New York Times.
North Dakota voters also opposed similar legalization efforts in 2018 and 2022.
“This result represents a missed opportunity for our state to develop a cannabis policy that fits our values, risking potential job growth and personal freedom,” the New Economic Frontier campaign to pass Measure 5 said in a statement emailed to MJBizDaily.
The hopes of a national movement to legalize recreational marijuana use and possession in red states on Tuesday first were dashed in Florida and later reiterated in North Dakota – where the GOP controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, attorney general and both chambers of the Legislature – as well as South Dakota.
Recent polling conducted by the North Dakota News Cooperative suggested Measure 5 would be a tight but winnable contest, with 45% of respondents in favor of the measure and 40% opposed.
Another 15% were undecided.
Opponents of Measure 5 included law enforcement, business groups, public health organizations and the Catholic Church.
The measure, backed by licensed medical marijuana businesses in the state, called for state regulators to set up a regulatory system for adult-use cultivation and sales no later than Oct. 1, 2025.
“While we are disappointed that Measure 5 did not pass, Curaleaf remains committed to advocating for responsible cannabis access and education across the country,” said Boris Jordan, CEO of marijuana multistate operator Curaleaf Holdings, which has four MMJ dispensaries in the state.
Given the political landscape in North Dakota, the ballot measure was considered very conservative and would have done little to prop up the regulated market.
Measure 5 would have established one of the most limited-license markets in the country, requiring only:
- 7 manufacturing licenses, which allow cannabis cultivation and manufacturing.
- 18 cannabis retail licenses.
Chris Casacchia can be reached at chris.casacchia@mjbizdaily.com.
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