Shaw: Legalize pot in North Dakota

It’s well past time to make leisure marijuana authorized in North Dakota. Voters within the state ought to vote sure on the November poll measure to take action.

I’ve by no means understood why an individual sitting of their residence smoking a joint must be charged with against the law. How is that any totally different than consuming a beer at residence? It’s not. Actually, alcohol is way more harmful. Alcohol can injury the mind and the liver. The

CDC says extreme alcohol consumption led to 140,000 deaths per yr

from 2015 to 2019.

No person has ever died

from a pot overdose.

We additionally know that alcohol could make individuals extra violent, whereas marijuana usually makes individuals extra relaxed. Sure, there are downsides to taking marijuana, however in case you imagine in legalized alcohol, then you must assist legalized pot.

The North Dakota measure is essentially the most conservative within the nation. It’s additionally way more tightly written

than the one on the state poll in 2018,

which was too free. This measure is nearly the identical

because the invoice that was handed

by the Republican-dominated North Dakota Home final yr.

What’s

new and improved this time round

are tight limits on how a lot you’ll be able to possess, how a lot you’ll be able to develop, the place you’ll be able to smoke it and having the marijuana examined. These commonsense provisions imply you’ll be able to solely possess a small quantity, can solely develop three vegetation at residence, can solely use it in personal locations and the state will check the marijuana to verify the correct chemical substances are in it. All nice concepts.

One other nice thought is the state would restrict the variety of locations that might legally promote or develop marijuana. There can be a most of 18 licensed dispensaries in North Dakota, and solely seven licensed locations that might develop it. Additionally, similar to alcohol, you would need to be at the least 21 to legally devour it and also you couldn’t legally drive whereas underneath the affect of pot.

There are additionally a number of sensible benefits to this measure. First, there are various individuals on this state with power ache who can’t get medical marijuana. That’s as a result of there are various docs within the state who don’t imagine in medical marijuana, and gained’t approve a medical marijuana card for his or her sufferers. If this measure passes, these sufferers gained’t want a card.

Second, consider on a regular basis native legislation enforcement wastes on marijuana instances. With legalized marijuana, they wouldn’t need to spend their time on victimless marijuana instances, and will dedicate extra time to critical crimes.

This leads me to my third level. Too many individuals have needlessly had their lives ruined as a result of they had been arrested for merely smoking marijuana. They’ll’t get jobs, residences or loans. That injustice would change.

I’ve by no means smoked marijuana, and don’t encourage it. Nevertheless, the time has come for North Dakota, like 19 different states and Washington, D.C. to legalize it, regulate it and

usher in hundreds of thousands of {dollars}

in taxes.

Shaw is a former WDAY TV reporter and former KVRR TV information director.

This column doesn’t essentially replicate the opinion of The Discussion board’s editorial board nor Discussion board possession.