Cannabis in North Dakota

North Dakota is a medical-only state. Voters approved Measure 5 in 2016, and the state Department of Health opened its program in April 2017. It is now run by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which reported 10,710 registry cards on September 8, 2026. The program serves patients aged 19 and older, minor patients under 19, designated caregivers and certifying providers. Patients may buy only from one of the eight registered dispensaries in the state, and HHS warns that state law gives no protection to anyone holding marijuana that was not bought from an in-state dispensary.

Adult use is not legal. Voters rejected legalization measures in 2018 and 2022, and Measure 5 in November 2024 failed with 47.45% in favor and 52.55% against; it would have allowed adults to possess up to an ounce and grow six plants per household. No cannabis measure is on the November 3, 2026 ballot: the two statewide measures are about the vote threshold for constitutional amendments and state-funded school meals, according to the Secretary of State.

Enforcement for everyone else softened in 2019. HB 1050, signed by Governor Doug Burgum, made possession of less than half an ounce an infraction with a maximum fine of $1,000, and a third infraction within a year can be treated as a Class B misdemeanor. Larger amounts and concentrates are treated more severely, and a summary of the law describes hashish and concentrates as felonies. Driving under the influence, selling and growing remain crimes.

Visitors cannot use another state's card at a North Dakota dispensary. HHS says non-residents with a valid medical card from another state may use the program under specific conditions, and a third-party summary describes a short-term electronic non-resident card valid for 60 days. Carrying cannabis across the state line into Minnesota, where adult use is legal, or out of it is a federal offense. This page is general information, not legal advice.