Group emerges to oppose North Dakota pot legalization measure

BISMARCK — A group has been formed to oppose a measure that would legalize recreational marijuana for adults in North Dakota.

Fargo addiction counselor Kristie Spooner filed paperwork on Wednesday, Oct. 5, to create a committee called Healthy and Productive North Dakota that will publicly oppose Measure 2, according to a news release.

New Approach North Dakota’s measure

would legalize the possession and purchase of small amounts of marijuana for adults 21 and older. The

19-page statutory measure

would also allow adult residents to grow limited amounts of cannabis and implement policies to regulate retail marijuana stores.

Spooner served as the chairwoman of a successful campaign to defeat a pot legalization measure in 2018. She is joined in this year’s campaign by national anti-legalization activists including Luke Niforatos and Connor Kubeisy of Virginia-based Smart Approaches to Marijuana.

Niforatos said the legalization measure is an attempt by the marijuana industry to take root in North Dakota “no matter the consequences for public health and public safety.”

“Measure 2 would result in more youth using marijuana, more traffic fatalities from marijuana-impaired drivers, more marijuana-related emergency department visits, and countless adverse physical and mental health effects,” Niforatos said.

The opposition committee did not report raising or spending any money on the campaign in its first filing.

Dave Owen, the legalization measure’s chairman, said Wednesday afternoon his group was forming a response to the opposition campaign’s claims.

Mail-in voting began Sept. 29 in North Dakota. The general election is Nov. 8.