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BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — A Fargo man said Wednesday that he will campaign to allow voters to decide if medical marijuana should be legal in North Dakota.
Ray Morgan said he has formed a 25-member committee that will submit an initiative to the secretary of state for approval so they can collect petition signatures. Morgan hopes the initiative will appear on the November 2016 ballot.
North Dakota's Republican-led House rejected a bipartisan measure this year to legalize medical marijuana, citing concerns about public safety and the burden on law enforcement.
North Dakota allows residents to put proposed state laws and constitutional amendments directly to a vote if the initiative's backers can gather enough support.
The National Conference of State Legislatures said 23 states have laws allowing medical marijuana. But it is still illegal at the federal level and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration hasn't approved it.
Moran told KFGO radio (http://bit.ly/1WEFOAW ) that it gives him hope that medical marijuana is legal in other states.
"I think certainly the tide is changing," he said. "While there's still state regulators that are still arresting people, I think it's becoming a little more tolerable."
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Information from: KFGO-AM, http://www.kfgo.com
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