Cannabis laws in North Dakota

Medical: Yes
Recreational: Decriminalized
Reciprocity: No

Medical marijuana became legal in North Dakota upon passing of the North Dakota Compassionate Care Act in November 2016.

The law allows patients to purchase in a 30-day period up to 2.5 ounces of dried leaves or flowers of the plant of the genus cannabis in a combustible delivery form, and to be in possession of up to three ounces. The law also permits a maximum of four grams of concentrate and permits the purchasing and possession of cannabis in cream, capsule, and transdermal patch form.

How to Get a Medical Card in North Dakota

To be approved for the North Dakota medical marijuana program, applicants must first register online with the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Program.

The applicant must submit all their personal details and a photo as well as the name of the certified healthcare provider who will be completing the written certification for the applicant. A designated caregiver must fill out their own application online through the same portal.

The applicant must then fill out the online form and pay the $50 application fee by check or cashier’s check. The card should arrive within seven to 10 days if ordered online.

Follow the step-by-step instructions here.

Qualifying Conditions

In North Dakota, an applicant may receive medical marijuana if they (or the person they are providing caregiver services for) has one or more of the following conditions:

A Terminal Illness
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
Agitation of Alzheimer’s Disease or related Dementia
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Anorexia Nervosa
Anxiety Disorder
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Brain Injury
Bulimia Nervosa
Cancer
Crohn’s Disease
Decompensated Cirrhosis caused by Hepatitis C
Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome
Endometriosis
Epilepsy
Fibromyalgia
Glaucoma
Interstitial Cystitis
Migraine
Neuropathy
Positive Status for Human Immunodeficiency Virus
Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Spinal Stenosis or chronic back pain, including neuropathy or damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with the objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity
Tourette Syndrome
A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or treatment for such disease or medical condition that produces one or more of the following:
- Cachexia or wasting syndrome
- Severe debilitating pain that has not responded to previously prescribed medication or surgical measures for more than three months or for which other treatment options produced serious side effects
- Intractable nausea
- Seizures
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristics of multiple sclerosis.

Reciprocity

North Dakota does not recognize medical marijuana licenses from other states.

Where to Buy

The state’s first dispensary opened in Fargo in March 2019. Patients in the state have complained of high prices since dispensaries opened, though as more patients register and the program matures the prices should likely go down significantly.