North Dakota Marijuana Policy
I’ve always wondered how much Canadian marijuana comes through North Dakota, since North Dakota shares a border with Canada and there isn’t much enforcement up there. With so much Canadian marijuana trying to get into the United States, it seems like a logical entry point to me, but I will leave that up to the comments section to decide. Below are the current marijuana laws in North Dakota, courtesy of North Dakota NORML:
Decriminalized? — No.
Possession of less than ½ oz is a misdemeanor, punishable by 30 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Possession of less than ½ oz while operating a vehicle is a misdemeanor, punishable by 1 year in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Possession of ½ to 1 oz is a misdemeanor, punishable by 1 year in jail and a $2,000 fine.
First convictions for the above offenses can be removed from the record after 2 years of no further criminal violations. Positive drug test is considered a possession violation during this time.
Possession of more than 1 oz is a felony, punishable by 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Distributing or cultivating less than 100lbs is a felony, punishable by 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Distributing or cultivating 100 lbs or more is a felony, punishable by 20 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Distributing or cultivating within 1,000 feet of a school is a felony, increasing the penalties in both categories.
Any conviction for paraphernalia results in drug addiction evaluation and classes.
Medical Program? — No.
Want to reform the marijuana laws in North Dakota? Below are some great places to get started, via our North Dakota activism page:
North Dakota Marijuana Policy Project
https://www.mpp.org/states/north-dakota/
North Dakota Americans for Safe Access
https://www.safeaccessnow.org/article.php?id=246
North Dakota Students for Sensible Drug Policy
https://ssdp.org/chapters/mountain-plains/north-dakota
