Measure to legalize cannabis for all adults expected to make North Dakota ballot

Democrats in blue states already understand the added value of talking legal cannabis during their campaigns but red state Democrats get it, too.

In 2016 North Dakota voters passed Measure 5 legalizing cannabis for some patients and last year the legislature drafted rules then a Republican governor signed it into law. US Senator Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) has joined Colorado's congressional delegation in the effort to ensure state cannabis policies are respected by the feds.

A report from Forum Communications earlier this year showed how a grassroots campaign of volunteers is working to raise $2 million to fund the effort to get recreational marijuana legalized in North Dakota. In October, a Gallup poll showed that Americans' support for legalizing pot has risen to 64 percent. We suspect campaigners will collect the necessary 13,000 signatures by July and get the issue on the ballot later this year. Grand Forks residents who are so inclined should sign the petition, so we can see exactly how the state's voters feel about legalizing marijuana. [editorial, Grand Forks Herald]

But, North Dakota's repressive neighbor to the south is among the worst states for opioid abuse yet Democrats in that red state believe residents are too fragile for legal cannabis. Even the South Dakota State Medical Association contends that although "marijuana and dronabinol decreased pain" the fact that it is illegal makes it less effective as a therapy.

Although there are different schools of thought concerning the efficacy of marijuana to treat certain medical conditions and concerning whether its possession and use ought to be decriminalized altogether, the fact remains that it is a violation of federal law and South Dakota law to possess or distribute it for any purpose.

Read that here.

Meanwhile, rampant meth use is a symptom of South Dakota's statewide hopelessness as the state's residents wait out another punishing, relentless, and unforgiving winter.

Minnesotans suffering from autism and obstructive sleep apnea will be able to seek relief with therapeutic cannabis starting in July.

Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger announced the additions following a state and public citizen review of medical research. Ehlinger selected autism and apnea due to "increasing evidence for potential benefits."

Get the story here.

Petulant porker Pat Powers has kids going untreated for autism. No doubt his obesity exacerbates his sleep apnea, too.

Iowa is fiddling while patients burn.

Black market cannabis not tested or subject to regulation makes America and South Dakota less safe. Legalizing and regulating a product that so many people enjoy is reasonable public policy aligned with life/safety concerns.