North Dakota legislators debate potential fiscal impact of legalized marijuana

North Dakota lawmakers of Legislative Management debated Wednesday the accurate fiscal impact of Measure 3 on marijuana legalization, zeroing in on an educational campaign not mandated by the measure.

In a report presented by Office of Management and Budget Director Joe Morrissette, implementation of Measure 3 would cost about $6.7 million, though some costs could not be determined. Included in that total is an approximate $4.4 million educational campaign for youth and at least two full-time employees for the state Health Department for this and next biennium.

Legislators met to discuss and forward to the Secretary of State’s Office the fiscal impacts of the four initiated measures on the 2018 ballot. They voted 8-7 to present a fiscal impact that cannot be fully determined for Measure 1’s ethics commission, no fiscal impact for Measure 2 on who is a qualified elector and to indicate a certain loss of revenue resulting from Measure 4 for special license plates for volunteer emergency personnel.

Legislative Management held two votes on Measure 3’s fiscal impact, initially rejecting a motion from House Minority Leader Corey Mock, D-Grand Forks, in a 5-10 vote to approve the fiscal impact but omitting the state Health Department’s figures, with other costs to be determined.

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