North Dakota
North Dakota has not legalized adult-use cannabis. Voters rejected adult-use ballot measures three times in six years: Measure 3 in November 2018 (40.55 percent yes), Measure 2 in November 2022 (45.06 percent yes), and Measure 5 in November 2024 (47.47 percent yes). The state operates a medical-only program under the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act, NDCC chapter 19-24.1, administered by the Department of Health and Human Services. The program is capped by statute at two manufacturing facilities and eight dispensaries for the entire state; all ten have been registered and operating continuously since 2019, and none has been surrendered or revoked. Total dispensary sales reached $22,424,000 in fiscal year 2024, up 3.79 percent over fiscal year 2023. That works out to $28.15 in sales per resident. Sales rose every fiscal year since the program began, from $6.36 million in fiscal year 2020 to $22.42 million in fiscal year 2024, while year-over-year growth narrowed to single digits. Registered qualifying patients numbered 9,934 as of June 30, 2024, and the state's live cards-issued counter showed 10,293 as of June 4, 2026. Senate Bill 2308, effective August 1, 2025, repealed the program's annual-report requirement and abolished the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board.
Licensing & Market
North Dakota caps cannabis licensing by statute. Under NDCC chapter 19-24.1 the department may register no more than two manufacturing facilities and no more than eight dispensaries unless it determines additional entities are necessary to increase patient access. Both manufacturing facilities and all eight dispensaries are registered and operational, activation rates of 100 percent against the statutory caps. That is 2.51 operating manufacturing facilities per million residents and 1.0 operating dispensary per 100,000 residents. Dispensary siting is set by eight state-defined regions, each a 50-mile radius around a selected city, rather than by municipal opt-in. The two license types are distinct — manufacturing facilities cultivate, process, and sell to dispensaries; dispensaries sell to patients — but common ownership across types is permitted, and one operator holds both a manufacturing facility and multiple dispensaries. The nonrefundable application fee is capped at $5,000 for either license type. Certification and renewal fees are biennial, not annual: the cap is $110,000 for a manufacturing facility and $90,000 for a dispensary, with certificates expiring two years after issuance. The state tracks product through STEMS, its traceability and enforcement monitoring system, run on the BTGov platform. Whether a registration may be transferred and whether owner residency is required are not stated in a form that can be sourced from the public record.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Cultivator licenses awarded | 2 | [5] |
| Cultivator licenses operational | 2 | [6] |
| Cultivator activation rate | 100% | [7] |
| Operating cultivators per million | 2.51 | [8] |
| Retail licenses awarded | 8 | [9] |
| Retail licenses operational | 8 | [10] |
| Retail activation rate | 100% | [11] |
| Dispensaries per 100k | 1 | [12] |
| Vertical integration | allowed with restrictions | [13] |
| License caps exist | Yes | [14] |
| Licenses transferable | Not available in the public record | — |
| Residency required | Not available in the public record | — |
| Residency duration (months) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Municipalities allowing | Not available in the public record | — |
| Municipalities total | Not available in the public record | — |
| Municipal opt-in rate | Not available in the public record | — |
| Track-and-trace system | BioTrack (STEMS / BTGov) | [15] |
| Cultivator application fee | $5,000 | [16] |
| Cultivator annual fee | $110,000 | [17] |
| Retail application fee | $5,000 | [18] |
| Retail annual fee | $90,000 | [19] |
Consumer Rules
Only registered qualifying patients may purchase cannabis in North Dakota; there is no adult-use channel. A standard cardholder may purchase up to 2.5 ounces of dried flower in a combustible form per 30-day period, and a cannabinoid concentrate and product THC ceiling of 6,000 milligrams per 30-day period applies. Enhanced cardholders with cancer may purchase up to 6 ounces of flower per 30-day period. Home cultivation is not permitted; only registered manufacturing facilities may produce cannabis. Not all product forms are legal. Smokable flower, cannabinoid concentrates, and medical cannabinoid products such as tinctures, capsules, topicals, and transdermal patches are allowed. Cannabinoid edible products were not legal until August 1, 2025 (House Bill 1203 and Senate Bill 2294) and are restricted to soft or hard geometric-square lozenges, capped at 5 milligrams of THC per serving, 50 milligrams per package, 310 milligrams of daily purchase, and 500 milligrams of possession. General edibles, beverages, and infused foods remain unauthorized, and concentrate container size is capped at 1 gram (Senate Bill 2293, effective August 1, 2025). Home delivery is not authorized, and the state has no on-site or social consumption venue category.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Home grow allowed | No | [20] |
| Home grow plant limit | Not available in the public record | — |
| Possession limit (oz) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Delivery legal | No | [21] |
| Delivery operational | No | [22] |
| Consumption lounges legal | No | [23] |
| Consumption lounges count | 0 | [24] |
| Purchase limit, flower (oz) | 2.5 | [25] |
| Purchase limit, concentrate (g) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Purchase limit, edibles (mg) | 310 | [26] |
| All product forms legal | No | [27] |
| Restricted product forms | Smokable/combustible dried leaves and flowers are permitted. Cannabinoid concentrates and 'medical cannabinoid products' (tinctures, capsules, topicals, transdermal patches) are allowed. Cannabinoid EDIBLE products were not legal until Aug 1, 2025 (HB 1203 / SB 2294) and are tightly restricted: only soft/hard lozenges in a geometric square shape, max 5 mg THC per serving, 50 mg per package, 310 mg max daily purchase, 500 mg possession cap. Cannabinoid concentrate container size capped at 1 gram (SB 2293, eff. Aug 1, 2025). No general edibles, beverages, or infused foods beyond the lozenge form. Cannabinoid concentrate/product THC capped at 6,000 mg per 30-day period (NDCC 19-24.1-01(3)(c)). | [28] |
Taxation
North Dakota imposes no cannabis-specific excise tax. Medical cannabis is taxed as ordinary retail at the standard 5 percent state sales and use tax, with local city and county sales taxes applying on top; there is no potency tax and no medical-tax exemption. Because no cannabis-specific tax exists, the tax treatment has not changed since the program began. The state does not publish cannabis-specific sales-tax revenue: medical cannabis is not broken out by the Office of State Tax Commissioner, so the tax raised cannot be quantified from public records. The program's regulatory fee revenue — distinct from tax — was $623,275 in fiscal year 2024, recorded separately. A combined consumer-facing rate of roughly 6 to 8.5 percent depending on locality is cited by secondary sources, but no single official cannabis effective rate is published.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Excise tax | Not available in the public record | — |
| Excise tax type | none | [29] |
| Sales tax | 5% | [30] |
| Wholesale tax | Not available in the public record | — |
| Potency tax exists | No | [31] |
| Potency tax, flower | Not available in the public record | — |
| Potency tax, concentrate | Not available in the public record | — |
| Potency tax, edibles | Not available in the public record | — |
| Local tax (max) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Local tax (typical) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Total effective rate | Not available in the public record | — |
| Medical tax exempt | No | [32] |
| Medical tax rate | 5% | [33] |
| Annual tax revenue | Not available in the public record | — |
| Tax revenue per capita | Not available in the public record | — |
| Tax changed since legalization | No | [34] |
| Tax direction | unchanged | [35] |
Operator Data
Total dispensary sales reached $22,424,000 in fiscal year 2024, of which $0 was adult-use; North Dakota has no adult-use market. Sales rose every fiscal year since the program began, from $6.36 million in fiscal year 2020 to $22.42 million in fiscal year 2024, with year-over-year growth narrowing to 3.79 percent in fiscal year 2024. Sales per resident were $28.15. This is a registry-gated medical market served by roughly 10,000 active patients, so per-patient spending is far higher than the per-capita figure, which uses total resident population. License attrition is zero: both manufacturing facilities and all eight dispensaries have operated continuously since 2019, against statutory caps of two and eight. North Dakota publishes no wholesale or retail price index, so price levels, price compression, and operator margins cannot be quantified from public records — those figures exist only in proprietary data not used here.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Wholesale flower ($/lb) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Wholesale flower period | Not available in the public record | — |
| Wholesale trend | Not available in the public record | — |
| Wholesale price compression | Not available in the public record | — |
| Retail flower ($/oz) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Operator margin | Not available in the public record | — |
| Total market sales | $22,424,000 | [36] |
| Adult-use sales | Not available in the public record | — |
| Per-capita sales | $28.15 | [37] |
| YoY sales growth | 3.79% | [38] |
| License attrition (count) | 0 | [39] |
| License attrition | 0% | [40] |
| Peak cultivation licenses | 2 | [41] |
| Current cultivation licenses | 2 | [42] |
Consumer Data
North Dakota patients and the broader population purchased $28.15 of legal cannabis per resident in fiscal year 2024, served by 1.0 operating dispensary per 100,000 residents. Because the market is registry-gated, the per-capita figure understates spending intensity among the roughly 10,000 active patients who may legally buy. The state publishes no retail price trend and no estimate of legal-market capture — the share of total consumption met by licensed dispensaries versus the unregulated market — so neither can be stated from public sources.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Per-capita sales | $28.15 | [37] |
| Dispensaries per 100k | 1 | [12] |
| Legal market capture | Not available in the public record | — |
| Legal capture source | Not available in the public record | — |
| Retail price trend | Not available in the public record | — |
Equity Programs
North Dakota's medical cannabis law contains no social-equity licensing program, no equity fund, and no community-reinvestment mechanism. Counts of minority-owned and women-owned licenses are not published. Record sealing for cannabis offenses is available under NDCC chapter 12-60.1 but is petition-based: an individual must file and meet waiting-period and eligibility criteria. There is no automatic cannabis-conviction clearance program, and no cannabis-specific count of sealed or expunged records is published.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Equity program exists | No | [43] |
| Equity program type | Not available in the public record | — |
| Equity licenses awarded | Not available in the public record | — |
| Equity licenses operational | Not available in the public record | — |
| Equity activation rate | Not available in the public record | — |
| Equity fund exists | No | [44] |
| Equity fund size | Not available in the public record | — |
| Equity fund disbursed | Not available in the public record | — |
| Equity fund disbursement rate | Not available in the public record | — |
| Minority ownership | Not available in the public record | — |
| Women ownership | Not available in the public record | — |
| Community reinvestment | Not available in the public record | — |
| Expungement exists | Yes | [45] |
| Expungement automatic | No | [46] |
| Expungements processed | Not available in the public record | — |
| Income cap for equity | Not available in the public record | — |
Enforcement
North Dakota tracks regulated product through STEMS, its traceability and enforcement monitoring system, run on the BTGov platform. The department may impose an administrative fine of up to $1,000 per violation on a compassion center. Program expenditures were $930,257 in fiscal year 2024, funded entirely by program fees with no general-fund support. Beyond these figures, the state does not publish the operational metrics of enforcement: inspection counts, enforcement actions against licensees, illicit-market enforcement actions, regulatory staffing, mandatory testing analytes, per-batch testing cost, and product recalls are not available in the public record — not because enforcement does not occur, but because the regulator does not report these figures in a form that can be sourced. Senate Bill 2308, effective August 1, 2025, repealed the program's annual-report requirement, the source from which most of these figures had been drawn.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Track-and-trace system | BioTrack (STEMS / BTGov) | [15] |
| Inspections per year | Not available in the public record | — |
| Enforcement actions (licensees) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Unlicensed-market enforcement actions | Not available in the public record | — |
| Regulatory budget | $930,257 | [47] |
| Regulatory staff | Not available in the public record | — |
| Mandatory testing analytes | Not available in the public record | — |
| Testing cost per batch | Not available in the public record | — |
| Product recalls per year | Not available in the public record | — |
| Fine schedule (min) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Fine schedule (max) | $1,000 | [48] |
Penalties & Criminal Law
North Dakota has not legalized adult-use cannabis, and on the criminal side penalties have trended lighter. House Bill 1050 in 2019 decriminalized possession of less than half an ounce to a non-criminal infraction carrying a maximum $1,000 fine and no jail. A 2025 House-passed bill to further reduce possession penalties was rejected by the state Senate in April 2025, so penalties were not reduced further. No cannabis penalty has been increased. Possession is penalized by weight under NDCC 19-03.1-23: less than half an ounce is an infraction, half an ounce to 500 grams is a class B misdemeanor (up to 30 days, $1,500), and over 500 grams is a class A misdemeanor (up to 360 days, $3,000); possession has no felony tier at any weight. The felony trigger is sale or delivery, which is a felony at any amount, carrying up to 5 years and $10,000, rising to up to 10 years and $20,000 for sale within 1,000 feet of a school or involving a minor. North Dakota sets no per se THC blood limit for impaired driving, prosecuting on an impairment basis. Cannabis arrests fell from 2,713 in calendar-year 2018 to 1,647 in calendar-year 2024, a series drawn from FBI NIBRS data via NORML that may undercount due to incomplete agency reporting. A statewide Black-to-white cannabis-possession arrest-rate ratio of about 5.5 to 1 is reported by the ACLU of North Dakota from 2018-vintage federal arrest data; no more recent statewide primary ratio is published.
| Field | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Max penalty, unlicensed cultivation | North Dakota penalizes unlicensed cultivation/production of marijuana by weight, like possession, under NDCC 19-03.1-23: less than 1/2 ounce (14.175 g) is a non-criminal infraction (max $1,000 fine, no jail); 1/2 ounce to 500 g is a class B misdemeanor (up to 30 days, $1,500); over 500 g is a class A misdemeanor (up to 360 days, $3,000). Manufacture of cannabinoid concentrate (hashish) outside the program is a felony punishable by up to 10 years and a $20,000 fine. | [49] |
| Max penalty, unlicensed sale | Unlicensed sale/delivery of any amount of marijuana is a felony punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment and a $10,000 fine (NDCC 19-03.1-23). Sale within 1,000 feet of a school, or to/involving a minor, is a felony punishable by up to 10 years and a $20,000 fine. | [50] |
| Felony threshold (grams) | Not available in the public record | — |
| Felony threshold type | sale | [51] |
| Penalty, possession over limit | A registered patient who possesses more than the program's allowable amount (standard: 3 oz / 85.05 g flower possession cap; enhanced cancer cardholders: 7.5 oz / 212.62 g) loses the medical-use protection and is charged under the general possession statute NDCC 19-03.1-23 by weight: less than 1/2 oz = infraction ($1,000); 1/2 oz-500 g = class B misdemeanor (30 days, $1,500); over 500 g = class A misdemeanor (360 days, $3,000). | [52] |
| Penalty, public consumption | The medical marijuana program prohibits use of medical marijuana in a public place and in other restricted locations (NDCC 19-24.1-33, Limitations). General (non-patient) public possession/use is charged by quantity under NDCC 19-03.1-23 (less than 1/2 oz = infraction, max $1,000; larger amounts = misdemeanors). There is no separate adult-use public-consumption framework because North Dakota has not legalized adult use. | [53] |
| DUI per se limit (ng) | Not available in the public record | — |
| DUI zero tolerance | No | [54] |
| Penalties increased post-legalization | No | [55] |
| Penalty direction | lighter | [56] |
| Penalty direction details | North Dakota has NOT legalized adult-use cannabis (ballot measures failed in 2018, 2022, and 2024). On the criminal side, penalties have trended lighter: 2019 HB 1050 decriminalized possession of less than 1/2 ounce to a non-criminal infraction (no jail; max $1,000 fine). A 2025 House-passed bill to further reduce marijuana possession penalties was rejected by the state Senate (April 2025), so penalties were not reduced further. The medical program has only expanded (edibles added Aug 1, 2025; THC purchase ceilings raised in 2023). No cannabis penalty has been increased. | [57] |
| Post-legalization arrests (annual) | 1647 | [58] |
| Racial disparity ratio | 5.5 | [59] |
| Expungement exists | Yes | [45] |
| Expungement automatic | No | [46] |
Sources
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2024 Population Estimates; State of North Dakota https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ND/PST045224
- ↑ USPS / U.S. Census Bureau standard two-letter abbreviation for North Dakota https://www.census.gov/library/reference/code-lists/ansi.html
- ↑ Dashboard compilation date 2026-06-07. Underlying vintages: Census Vintage 2024 population; ND DHHS Medical Marijuana Program Annual Report FY2024 (data as of June 30, 2024) for sales/patients/revenue/expenses; HHS live cards-issued counter (June 4, 2026); NDCC ch. 19-24.1 (current, incl. 2025 HB 1203/SB 2293/SB 2294/SB 2308 changes eff. Aug 1, 2025); FBI NIBRS arrest data through CY2024 via NORML.
- ↑ U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2024 Population Estimates: North Dakota = 796,568 as of July 1, 2024 (record high) https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/ND/PST045224
- ↑ ND DHHS Medical Marijuana Program Annual Report FY2024 — state law (NDCC 19-24.1) authorizes no more than two manufacturing facilities; both received registration certificates in FY2019: Grassroots Cannabis (GR Vending ND, LLC) in Fargo and Pure Dakota, LLC in Bismarck https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 — both registered manufacturing facilities (Grassroots Cannabis/Fargo and Pure Dakota/Bismarck) are operational and supplying the dispensary network https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: 2 operational manufacturing facilities / 2 awarded x 100 = 100% https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: 2 operational manufacturing facilities / (796,568 / 1,000,000) = 2.51 per million. Sources: ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024; Census V2024 https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 — state law authorizes no more than eight dispensaries; all eight are registered: Curaleaf (Devils Lake, Dickinson, Jamestown, Minot), Pure Dakota Health (Bismarck, Fargo, Williston), and We-Mend/Strive Life (Grand Forks). The eighth opened Dec 2019 in Dickinson https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 — all eight registered dispensaries are open and dispensing (the eighth/final opened December 2019 in Dickinson) https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: 8 operational dispensaries / 8 awarded x 100 = 100% https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: 8 operational dispensaries / (796,568 / 100,000) = 1.00 per 100K. Sources: ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024; Census V2024 https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ NDCC ch. 19-24.1 uses two distinct 'compassion center' license types — manufacturing facilities (cultivate/process/sell to dispensaries) and dispensaries (sell to patients) — but common ownership across types is permitted in practice (e.g., Pure Dakota operates both a manufacturing facility in Bismarck and Pure Dakota Health dispensaries) https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC ch. 19-24.1 — the department shall register no more than two manufacturing facilities and no more than eight dispensaries (unless it determines additional entities are necessary to increase patient access) https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS operates the North Dakota State Traceability and Enforcement Monitoring System (STEMS). The official inventory portal states: 'The Department has selected BTGov for traceability and inventory control purposes' and 'The website is the property of BTGov under license to the North Dakota Department of Health.' BTGov is the government division of the BioTrack platform (BioTrackTHC was awarded ND's original seed-to-sale contract in 2018 and has since rebranded). Primary: https://mminventory.health.nd.gov/
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-13/15 — compassion center (manufacturing or dispensary) nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $5,000 https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-15/16 — manufacturing facility certification/registration fee not to exceed $110,000; the registration certificate expires two years after issuance and the renewal fee likewise may not exceed $110,000 (i.e., a biennial, not annual, fee) https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-13/15 — compassion center (dispensary) nonrefundable application fee not to exceed $5,000 https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-15/16 — dispensary certification/registration fee not to exceed $90,000; certificate expires two years after issuance and the renewal fee likewise may not exceed $90,000 (biennial, not annual) https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ Home cultivation is not permitted under North Dakota's medical program; only registered manufacturing facilities may produce marijuana (NDCC ch. 19-24.1). The 2016 ballot measure's home-grow allowance (for patients 40+ miles from a dispensary) was removed by the 2017 implementing legislation https://www.mpp.org/states/north-dakota/summary-north-dakotas-compassionate-care-act/
- ↑ NDCC ch. 19-24.1 provides for in-person dispensing of usable marijuana at registered dispensaries; there is no statutory medical home-delivery authorization https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ No authorized medical marijuana home-delivery channel operates in North Dakota https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ North Dakota has no on-site/social consumption venue category; medical marijuana may not be used in public places (NDCC 19-24.1-33, Limitations) https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ No state consumption-venue category exists; count = 0 https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-01(3)(a)(1) — a registered qualifying patient may not purchase more than two and one-half ounces [70.87 g] of dried leaves or flowers in a combustible delivery form in a 30-day period (standard allowable amount). Enhanced (cancer) cardholders: up to six ounces [170.01 g] per 30 days (subdivision b). Note: this is a 30-day purchase ceiling, not a per-transaction limit https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-01(3)(c) and 2025 HB 1203/SB 2294 — maximum daily purchase of cannabinoid edible products is 310 mg of THC (with 5 mg per serving, 50 mg per package, and a 500 mg possession cap) https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Summary%20of%20Bills%20Passed%202025.pdf
- ↑ Not all product forms are legal: edibles were only added Aug 1, 2025 and are restricted to geometric-square lozenges (HB 1203/SB 2294); no general edibles, beverages, or infused foods; concentrate container size capped at 1 g (SB 2293) https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Summary%20of%20Bills%20Passed%202025.pdf
- ↑ NDCC ch. 19-24.1 and 2025 legislative changes (HB 1203, SB 2293, SB 2294): smokable/combustible flower allowed; concentrates and medical cannabinoid products (tinctures, capsules, topicals, transdermal patches) allowed; cannabinoid edible products allowed only as soft/hard geometric-square lozenges (max 5 mg THC/serving, 50 mg/package, 310 mg daily purchase, 500 mg possession) effective Aug 1, 2025; cannabinoid concentrate container size capped at 1 g https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Summary%20of%20Bills%20Passed%202025.pdf
- ↑ North Dakota imposes no cannabis-specific excise tax on medical marijuana; only the general state/local sales and use tax applies. [SECONDARY] SalesTaxHandbook, 'North Dakota Marijuana Tax' (5% sales tax, no excise) https://www.salestaxhandbook.com/north-dakota/marijuana
- ↑ North Dakota Office of State Tax Commissioner — the state sales tax rate is 5% for most retail sales; medical marijuana is taxed as ordinary retail (no cannabis-specific rate). Local city/county sales taxes apply on top https://www.tax.nd.gov/sales-and-use-tax
- ↑ North Dakota has no potency-based or cannabis-specific tax tiers; medical marijuana is subject only to the general 5% sales/use tax https://www.tax.nd.gov/sales-and-use-tax
- ↑ Medical marijuana is NOT exempt from North Dakota sales tax; the standard 5% state sales/use tax (plus local) applies. North Dakota's sales-tax exemptions do not include medical marijuana. [SECONDARY] SalesTaxHandbook corroborates a 5% sales tax with no medical exemption and no excise tax https://www.salestaxhandbook.com/north-dakota/marijuana
- ↑ Standard 5% North Dakota state sales/use tax applies to medical marijuana (no special medical rate, no exemption); local option sales taxes apply on top https://www.tax.nd.gov/sales-and-use-tax
- ↑ North Dakota has adopted no cannabis-specific tax; medical marijuana has always been subject only to the general sales/use tax (rate unchanged at 5%), so there is nothing to change https://www.tax.nd.gov/sales-and-use-tax
- ↑ No cannabis-specific tax exists or has changed; standard 5% sales/use tax treatment is unchanged https://www.tax.nd.gov/sales-and-use-tax
- ↑ ND DHHS Medical Marijuana Program Annual Report FY2024 — Total Dispensary Sales FY2024 = $22,424,000 (rounded to nearest thousand; from the state traceability system). Medical-only; no adult-use sales exist https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: $22,424,000 FY2024 dispensary sales / 796,568 total residents = $28.15 per capita (computed on total resident population, not adult-only, because no adult-population breakout is paired with the sales figure). Sources: ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024; Census V2024 https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: FY2024 $22,424,000 vs FY2023 $21,606,000 = +3.79%. Source: ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 dispensary sales table https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 — both manufacturing facilities and all eight dispensaries remain registered and operating since 2019; no compassion center license has been surrendered or revoked. Attrition = 0 https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ CALC: 0 surrendered / 2 peak manufacturing licenses = 0% https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 — two manufacturing facilities is the statutory cap and the peak; both registered since FY2019 https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ ND DHHS Annual Report FY2024 — two manufacturing facilities currently registered (Grassroots Cannabis/Fargo; Pure Dakota/Bismarck) https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ North Dakota's medical marijuana law (NDCC ch. 19-24.1) contains no social-equity licensing program, equity fund, or community-reinvestment mechanism https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ No dedicated cannabis social-equity fund exists in North Dakota https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ North Dakota allows petition-based sealing of criminal records, including marijuana offenses, under NDCC 12-60.1 (record sealing) for eligible misdemeanors and felonies after waiting periods. [SECONDARY] NORML 'North Dakota Laws & Penalties' summarizes record-sealing availability https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ North Dakota record sealing is petition-based (the individual must file a petition and meet waiting-period/eligibility criteria); it is not automatic. There is no automatic cannabis-conviction clearance program. [SECONDARY] NORML 'North Dakota Laws & Penalties.' https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ ND DHHS Medical Marijuana Program Annual Report FY2024 — Total Program Expenses FY2024 = $930,257 (salaries/wages $654,906 + operating $275,351), funded entirely by special funds (program fees), $0 general funds. Used as a proxy for the cannabis regulatory program budget https://www.hhs.nd.gov/sites/default/files/documents/DOH%20Legacy/MM/Fiscal%20Year%202024.pdf
- ↑ NDCC ch. 19-24.1 — the department may fine a compassion center up to $1,000 per violation; a health care provider who violates the program may be fined up to $1,000 https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ NDCC 19-03.1-23 — cultivation/production of marijuana is penalized by weight like possession (less than 1/2 oz = infraction $1,000; 1/2 oz-500 g = class B misdemeanor 30 days/$1,500; over 500 g = class A misdemeanor 360 days/$3,000); manufacture of cannabinoid concentrate/hashish is a felony up to 10 years/$20,000. [SECONDARY] NORML 'North Dakota Laws & Penalties.' https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ NDCC 19-03.1-23 — sale/delivery of any amount of marijuana is a felony up to 5 years and $10,000; sale within 1,000 ft of a school or involving a minor is a felony up to 10 years and $20,000. [SECONDARY] NORML 'North Dakota Laws & Penalties.' https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ NDCC 19-03.1-23 — possession (and cultivation by weight) has no felony tier (caps at class A misdemeanor for any amount over 500 g); the felony trigger is SALE/delivery of any amount. [SECONDARY] NORML 'North Dakota Laws & Penalties.' https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1 (loss of medical protection when over the allowable amount) and NDCC 19-03.1-23 (general possession penalties by weight: less than 1/2 oz infraction $1,000; 1/2 oz-500 g class B misdemeanor 30 days/$1,500; over 500 g class A misdemeanor 360 days/$3,000) https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ NDCC 19-24.1-33 (Limitations) prohibits use of medical marijuana in public places and other restricted locations (school grounds, school buses, correctional facilities, child care facilities); general public possession/use is charged by quantity under NDCC 19-03.1-23 (less than 1/2 oz = infraction, max $1,000) https://ndlegis.gov/cencode/t19c24-1.pdf
- ↑ North Dakota has no numeric per se THC blood limit and no enforceable zero-tolerance marijuana-DUI rule; impaired driving is prosecuted on an impairment basis under NDCC 39-08-01. [SECONDARY] NORML drugged-driving / North Dakota laws https://norml.org/laws/north-dakota-penalties-2/
- ↑ North Dakota has not legalized adult use; no cannabis penalty has been increased. Penalties have trended lighter (2019 decriminalization of less than 1/2 oz). [SECONDARY] NORML, 'North Dakota: Senate Lawmakers Reject House-Backed Bill Reducing Marijuana Possession Penalties' (April 2025) https://norml.org/blog/2025/04/10/north-dakota-senate-lawmakers-reject-house-backed-bill-reducing-marijuana-possession-penalties/
- ↑ Penalties trended lighter: 2019 HB 1050 decriminalized possession of less than 1/2 oz to a non-criminal infraction. A 2025 House bill to further reduce possession penalties was rejected by the Senate. [SECONDARY] NORML (April 2025) https://norml.org/blog/2025/04/10/north-dakota-senate-lawmakers-reject-house-backed-bill-reducing-marijuana-possession-penalties/
- ↑ 2019 HB 1050 decriminalized possession of less than 1/2 ounce (non-criminal infraction, max $1,000, no jail); a 2025 House-passed bill to further reduce marijuana possession penalties was rejected by the ND Senate in April 2025; the medical program has only expanded (edibles Aug 2025; THC purchase ceilings raised 2023). No cannabis penalty has been increased. [SECONDARY] NORML (April 2025); ND DHHS 2025 bills summary https://norml.org/blog/2025/04/10/north-dakota-senate-lawmakers-reject-house-backed-bill-reducing-marijuana-possession-penalties/
- ↑ [SECONDARY] NORML, 'North Dakota Marijuana Arrests,' compiling FBI NIBRS — 1,647 marijuana arrests in CY2024 (possession 1,605 + sales 42; most recent year; likely undercounts due to incomplete NIBRS agency reporting). Underlying primary: FBI NIBRS https://norml.org/marijuana/library/state-marijuana-arrests/north-dakota-marijuana-arrests/
- ↑ [SECONDARY] ACLU of North Dakota, 'Black People Still Almost 5.5 Times More Likely to Get Arrested for Marijuana in North Dakota' — statewide Black:white marijuana-possession arrest-rate ratio of ~5.5x (ND ranks 7th nationally). Underlying primary: ACLU 'A Tale of Two Countries' / FBI UCR arrest data https://www.aclund.org/en/news/black-people-still-almost-55-times-more-likely-get-arrested-marijuana-north-dakota