A petition to fully legalize marijuana in North Dakota appears to be heading to the ballot this November, reported Marijuana Moment, citing information gleaned from an election official at the secretary of state’s office.
The office is apparently wrapping up the important while tedious signature verification process, which involves sending several thousand postcards to randomly selected signees to confirm that the information they included on their ballot petitions is correct.
If the postcards come back with inconsistencies, “we look into things further,” the official told Marijuana Moment.
LegalizeND, the group advocating for recreational cannabis, submitted about 18,700 signatures to the Secretary of State last month, well exceeding the 13,452 signatures required to qualify for the ballot.
The deadline to verify the signatures and officially secure the placement of the initiative on the November ballot is August 13.
That North Dakota, a red state, could become the next to fully legalize marijuana at the state-level has taken some observers by surprise. Even more surprising is the wide ranging initiative itself.
North Dakota’s [initiative](https://ballotpedia.org/North_Dakota_Marijuana_Legalization_and_Automatic_Expungement_Initiative_(2018%29), unlike other fully legal states, does not place any restrictions on the number of plants a person over 21 can grow or how much cannabis they can possess. All forms of marijuana, including flower, concentrates, hash and oils, are permitted under the state’s initiative.
It also calls for the automatic expungement of criminal records for past marijuana-related offenses.
If the signatures on the petition are verified as expected on August 13, November’s vote is expected to be close. A June 2018 poll commissioned by LegalizeND found that 49 percent of North Dakota voters approve of marijuana legalization, 39 percent disapprove and 15 percent remain undecided.
One of the most compelling arguments in support of legalization is that “it will benefit agriculture in North Dakota,” the survey found.
