Connect with us

North Dakota

North Dakota Advocates Working to Put Adult-Use Cannabis Question on November Ballots – Ganjapreneur

Published

on

North Dakota Advocates Working to Put Adult-Use Cannabis Question on November Ballots – Ganjapreneur


Advocates in North Dakota on Tuesday submitted a petition to place an adult-use cannabis question to voters during the upcoming General Election, the North Dakota Monitor reports. The campaign needs to collect 16,000 valid signatures by July 8 to get the issue on November ballots. 

Steve Bakken, Burleigh County Commissioner and former Bismarck mayor, is chair of the initiated measure’s sponsoring committee. 

“Cannabis legalization is coming, and it’s coming fast. We’ve got a choice here – let out-of-state interests call the shots, or take the lead ourselves. We’ve carefully crafted this initiative right here in North Dakota, making sure it fits what our community really needs. Let’s embrace this opportunity the North Dakota way, with common sense and local input guiding the way.” — Bakken, in a statement, via the Grand Cities 

The committee notes that the proposal calls for lower possession limits than neighboring Minnesota and Montana based on different product types. The proposal would allow adults 21-and-older to cultivate three plants per person, up to six per household.  

Mark Friese, an attorney and former police officer who serves as a member of the sponsoring committee told the Monitor that “a ton of resources” go into investigating and prosecuting cannabis crimes in the state and that those resources could be better utilized for investigations into drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine.  

Advertisement

“Lumping marijuana into that group and labeling marijuana offenders the same way that we do is just bad policy,” he told the Monitor. 

In 2022, North Dakota voters rejected an adult-use proposal 55%-46% and had previously voted down a similar measure in 2018 59%-41%. 

 

Get daily cannabis business news updates. Subscribe

Advertisement

Have an additional perspective to share? Send us a message to let us know, and if your comment is chosen by our editors it could be featured here.



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

North Dakota

Mandan man arrested after pursuit in Stutsman County, vehicle crash in Jamestown

Published

on

Mandan man arrested after pursuit in Stutsman County, vehicle crash in Jamestown


JAMESTOWN, N.D. — A Mandan man was arrested on Tuesday, April 30, after a pursuit in Stutsman County and crash in Jamestown involving another vehicle, according to the North Dakota Highway Patrol.

The patrol said in a news release that at about noon on Tuesday, a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper attempted to stop a 2004 Honda Accord for speeding on Interstate 94 near milepost 271 in Stutsman County. The driver, Chance T. Standridge, 27, continued to flee at high speeds toward Jamestown, the patrol said.

Standridge left Interstate 94 at the Bloom exit (262) and continued to flee at a high speed, the patrol said. Before entering Jamestown, the patrol trooper discontinued pursuit.

Standridge allegedly continued to flee into Jamestown at high speeds and was involved in a property crash near the railroad tracks on Third Street and 12th Avenue Southeast, the patrol said. The struck vehicle was a 2002 Chevrolet Astro driven by Ricky Haugen, 65, of Jamestown.

Advertisement

Haugen was not injured in the crash, the patrol said. Standridge fled the scene of the property crash at high speeds driving through Jamestown, according to the patrol.

The Jamestown Police Department located Standridge and took him into custody near the 1500 block of Fourth Avenue Northwest in Jamestown. He was arrested and booked into the Stutsman County Correctional Center in Jamestown.

Standridge was charged with fleeing a police officer in a motor vehicle, reckless endangerment extreme indifference, leaving the scene of a crash involving damage, careless driving, driving under suspension, and no liability insurance, the patrol said. He had outstanding warrants for carrying a concealed firearm or dangerous weapon, possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving under suspension, and probation revocation.

The patrol was assisted by the Jamestown Police Department and Stutsman County Sheriff’s Office.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Doug Leier: Buying a North Dakota fishing or hunting license is as simple as a tap of the app

Published

on

Doug Leier: Buying a North Dakota fishing or hunting license is as simple as a tap of the app


WEST FARGO – When it comes to phone apps, I’ll be the first to admit I’m not the next generation. I’m at best the past generation and hopefully not the lost generation. While I admit I do enjoy having access to all of the Game and Fish Department information on my mobile device, I’m much more comfortable on my desktop and laptop if needed.

Doug Leier is an outreach biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Reach him at dleier@nd.gov.
Advertisement

In full transparency, I’ve yet to buy my hunting and fishing license on the official North Dakota Game and Fish Department app. Until right now. But like the rest of you, I’ve been buying my license electronically for longer than I care to remember.

First things first. If you haven’t bought your new fishing license, it was required April 1. I’d encourage you to give it a try on the app. As I type, I’m doing exactly what I’m asking you to consider.

First thing I notice is the localized sunrise, sunset and wind. No matter if you hunt or fish, where we live the weather is front of mind.

Next, I tapped on “buy and apply.”

While I have an online profile, I forgot I have a new phone since my last Game and Fish license purchase and need to log in my personal profile.

Advertisement

I typed in my name, date of birth and reminded myself there are two Doug Leiers and thought of all the times we’ve had mixed up information. I’m thankful my last name isn’t Larson, Olson, Anderson or Horner. But that’s also credit to the system, which uses a combination of personal identification to make sure the correct person is logging in.

Again, I tap “buy and apply” and slide down to the option for choosing who I’m buying for – my dad and daughter – which is a nice, saved option to reduce tapping information each time.

I click on proof of residency and verify current contact information, and I’m into my options for licenses, the combination or “sportsmen” license, as most know it.

A series of questions to become Harvest Information Program-certified follows; an option to subscribe to North Dakota OUTDOORS magazine is the next step and then a question about donating to the Private Land Open To Sportsman (PLOTS) program.

After a short fishing survey, trapping question and acknowledgement of electronic posting, I’m already at the checkout within minutes.

Advertisement

I’ll be honest. It took me longer to find my wallet than it did to tap in my credit card information, even with bifocals on top of my head.

One mistake on a number and it highlighted the box I needed to go back and correct before continuing to payment.

The credit card was processed, the license activated and an email received, acknowledging my purchase.

The next choice was to save it on my phone in an easy to find place. I printed off a copy for my wallet and another for the glove box in my Yukon. I might photocopy one for my office desk and put one in my tackle box.

All said and done, it took me less than 10 minutes to do the entire process.

Advertisement

Are you ready? Yes you are. If I can do it, so can you. If not, there’s a list of 80 license vendors –

gf.nd.gov/licensing/retail-license-vendors

– where you can purchase your license.

Doug Leier

Doug Leier is an outreach biologist for the North Dakota Game and Fish Department. Reach him at dleier@nd.gov.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading

North Dakota

Horizon Middle School band breaking down mental health stigmas through upcoming concert

Published

on

Horizon Middle School band breaking down mental health stigmas through upcoming concert


MOORHEAD — Eighth-grade band students at Horizon Middle School are preparing for a unique performance with an important message.

The unBroken Project is a music initiative focusing on mental health. The band will be performing in concert in less than a month.

There are four or five pieces the eighth-grade band will be performing in the concert, like “Fragile,” a slow but hopeful piece about making it through good and bad days.

Another more uplifting song in the project is “Blue Sky Horizon,” which is about the relief of recovery.

Advertisement

“That one is meant to be kind of once one receives help, whether that’s medication, therapy, whatever that that is, kind of seeing through that depression, anxiety episode and coming out the other side really elated,” said Horizon Middle School Eighth-grade Band Director Tim Pipinich.

In contrast, there’s “Scream,” about channeling negative emotions in healthy ways, features shouting and a unique instrument called the Aztec Death Whistle.

“Scream” is one of two pieces the concert will be premiering in our region, with the program receiving some funding by unBroken Project’s composer Randall Standridge through a consortium.

The band will also be performing for the school’s seventh and eighth graders during the week prior to the concert, with an accompanying art project for the students.

Students in the band were a little hesitant at first, but have come to embrace the idea of the project.

Advertisement

“‘Fragile’ was the first song and I was just like, ‘This is really cool.’ I love the sound, and honestly it does feel like a little bit of relief with the instrument playing, and I can see how it corresponds with mental illness,” said Gabriel Nedrebo, who plays alto saxophone.

“Once we actually started getting into the pieces, I actually really like them. And I’ve struggled with mental health before so I thought it’s a really good idea and just to bring awareness to it,” said Zoe Martin, who plays flute.

For Pipinich, students living in a post-COVID-19 world and a growing political divide are just some of the reasons finding a way to promote mental health and break down stigmas through music was so important.

“We’re seeing more and more students at every age level that are touched by these things, whether it’s they themselves or their families. We see more students that give up easily, learn helplessness, shut downs. And so it just felt like now was the time,” Pipinich said.

The free concert is open to the public. It will be at 8 p.m. on May 22 in the Horizon Performing Arts Center in Moorhead.

Advertisement





Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending