Tracker Pixel for Entry

Medical Marijuana: no armored cars needed

Last Word | November 20th, 2015

By Rilie Ray Morgan

As Chairperson of the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Committee, I feel compelled to respond to my old college professor, Lloyd Omdahl and his column on Medical Cannabis. Omdahl’s comments have some fatal flaws.

In fairness he does have a couple of things right, the first being that the initiated measure was started because of the inactivity of the North Dakota legislature. Had the legislature even considered studying the idea, we would not even be talking about an initiated measure for medical cannabis.

Secondly he says the legalization of medical marijuana is a good idea. Spot on.

But then Omdahl strays. He goes into the woes of how some states are regretting the decision to have medical marijuana.

He quotes car dealer, Steve Zabawa, from Billings Montana, who wants to repeal it even though he originally supported it. Zawaba says that without adequate regulation of the industry “it really got out of control and wasn’t about medicine.”

While we did use a small portion of Montana’s law, the vast majority came from Delaware and to a lesser extent Arizona. Our proposal isn’t Montana’s law. Our proposal is extremely regulated.

So much so that Omdahl complains that the most serious flaw is that the measure calls for a whole new bureaucracy to control production and to be sure the distribution is confined to people with medical justification.

Well you just can’t have it both ways. Complaining about no regulation in Montana and complaining of too much bureaucracy in the North Dakota proposal doesn’t make a any of sense. We wanted a well-regulated measure that tells all North Dakota voters we are serious about not letting this get out of control.

He states (and I am paraphrasing) Colorado and Oregon failed to “keep the bad actors out of the business.” I believe that those states may be having some problems with the recreational marijuana industry, but we aren’t talking about recreational marijuana in North Dakota and I don’t believe the “bad actors” will be breaking down the doors to try corner the North Dakota medical cannabis industry.

He quotes PEW research that both California and Michigan are still struggling to put the worms back in the can. What worms? What can? Again how does this relate to North Dakota?

He goes on to say that the initiative passes on Nov. 8, the law will become effective Dec. 8 and if the state health department fails to act within 120 days, petitioners can ask the court for a writ of mandamus to force start of the program, ready or not. Yes, if the state health department decides to sit on this for 4 months and does absolutely nothing, I will personally take them to court. I know the wheels of government turn very slowly but if they can’t figure out where to start in four months, it might be time for some personnel changes at the health department.

And since the legislature will be meeting at about the same time this proposal will hopefully become law, they can authorize the staffing levels that will be need to get the law rolling.

He says that North Dakota should not even consider authorizing in-state cultivation of marijuana since it can be purchased from 23 states in the medical marijuana business. In theory that’s a pretty good idea but the transportation of medical marijuana across state lines (even medical cannabis) is frowned on by many state governments which don’t have medical cannabis laws and by the Federal Government. It’s a very impractical idea at this time.

Omdahl also wants marijuana to be sold by prescription solely through pharmacies in the same manner as other drugs. No pharmacy is going to take the risk of losing their license or federal payments by selling an illegal drug in the eyes of the federal government. So that is not going to happen until the federal government takes marijuana off of the Class 1 drug list. Don’t hold your breath on that idea.

He closes by saying that the financial beneficiaries will be lobbying in every legislative session to liberalize the rules so they can make more money. Omdahl apparently didn’t read the measure that closely. The owners of the compassionate care dispensaries are to be non-profit corporations. Yes, they will need profits to pay for staff, licenses, rents, etc. but they aren’t going to be someone needing an armored car everyday to cart away the cash. Plus the legislature has every opportunity to just say no to anyone who lobbies them.

Our committee feels that the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act will provide help to many North Dakotans who are suffering from various ailments. We believe our measure is well regulated and worth your yes vote, if and when we get permission to start the petition drive and the necessary signatures to put the measure on the ballot.

Recently in:

By Winona LaDukewinona@winonaladuke.comIt’s been eight years since the Water Protectors were cleared off the banks of the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers. It was a bitter ending to a battle to protect the water; and for most of us…

By HPR Staff We’re all a part of building strong, healthy and inclusive communities. But the region’s non-profit organizations do a lot of the heavy lifting. Now it’s time for these organizations to step into the spotlight.…

February 6, 6-7 p.m.Plains Art Museum, 704 1st Ave N, FargoLove local art? You won’t want to miss out on this Artside Chat with two-spirit Chippewa artist Anna Johnson. While you’re there, check out her exhibition…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com As I write this article, it’s January, and the temperatures in North Dakota are negative. I’m living in a house and our furnace just died a forever death after years of quick fixes. Yet,…

By Ed Raymondfargogadfly@gmail.comHow billionaires with brain rot are creating bedlam in the USAOn January 21, 2010, the Republican-dominated United States Supreme Court approved a death sentence for American democracy of 250 to…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…

By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com So far in 2025, announcements for new restaurant openings in the metro far outnumber closings. This is good news going into the new year for us hungry folk. In my opinion, the positive trend will…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.com Local band Zero Place has been making quite a name for itself locally and regionally in the last few years. Despite getting its start during a time it seemed the whole world was coming to…

By Greg Carlsongregcarlson1@gmail.com In a little more than a quarter of the 20th century spanning the 1930s, 1940s and part of the 1950s, Humphrey Bogart built one of the quintessential American filmographies. Stubborn, tenacious,…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comIn 1974, the Jamestown Arts Center started as a small space above a downtown drugstore. It has grown to host multiple classrooms, a gallery, performance studio, ceramic studio and outdoor art park.…

By John Showalterjohn.d.showalter@gmail.comHigh Plains Reader had the opportunity to interview two mysterious new game show hosts named Milt and Bradley Barker about an upcoming event they will be putting on at Brewhalla. What…

By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…

By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…

By Josette Ciceronunapologeticallyanxiousme@gmail.com What does it mean to truly live in a community —or should I say, among community? It’s a question I have been wrestling with since I moved to Fargo-Moorhead in February 2022.…

By Faye Seidlerfayeseidler@gmail.com On Dec 5, the Turning Point USA chapter at North Dakota State University hosted an event called BisonFest. This event featured Chloe Cole, a former trans kid, known for detransitioning and…

By Jim Fugliejimfuglie920@gmail.com A friend of mine, a well-known Bismarck liberal (I have a few of those), came up to me after church the other day and asked, “So, are you moving out of the country?” I knew he was referring…