Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Bismarck — The North Dakota Department of Health estimates a proposed ballot measure aimed at legalizing medical marijuana would require adding 32 full-time employees and cost $8.7 million to administer in the first biennium — a figure the measure's lead sponsor called "outrageous."
In a memo posted to its website Wednesday, the Health Department notes that revenue generated from medical marijuana registration and fees "is not sufficient to cover the costs of implementation or the ongoing costs associated with the measure," and a funding source will need to be found if the law ends up on the November ballot and voters approve it.
Sponsoring committee chairman Rilie Ray Morgan of Fargo said he hadn't seen the memo until a reporter contacted him about it Thursday morning and he needed more time to study it before commenting at length. But he called the $8.7 million estimate "an outrageous figure," noting it's more than twice the $3.9 million fiscal note for a medical marijuana legalization bill defeated by House lawmakers in February 2015.
"For a public agency that obviously is not in favor of this to come out and make these statements like this is fearmongering at its best," he said, accusing the department of exploiting the state's cash-strapped status to "make this sound really bad so the voters of North Dakota will say, 'We can't afford that.' "
Sponsors delivered about 17,600 signatures Monday to Secretary of State Al Jaeger to try to get the Compassionate Care Act on the Nov. 8 ballot. Jaeger has 35 days to verify the required 13,452 signatures.
While state agencies are prohibited from supporting or opposing initiated measures, Health Department spokeswoman Colleen Reinke said the agency reviewed the 34-page measure's language because it is the primary agency that would administer the regulations.
"The way the measure is drafted, we just have questions about how some of the provisions are going to work," she said.
The memo was posted the same day Gov. Jack Dalrymple announced he is calling state lawmakers into special session on Aug. 2 to balance a revenue shortfall projected to reach $310 million by the end of the current biennium on June 30, 2017. Dalrymple also has asked the Health Department and other general fund agencies to cut 10 percent from their original 2015-17 appropriations when preparing their 2017-19 budget requests.
"Implementing it will take money, and we don't have it," Reinke said of the measure. "The Legislature would have to take care of it."
The measure would make it legal for qualifying patients to have up to 3 ounces for treatment of about a dozen debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, AIDS and glaucoma, while allowing the Health Department to add more. The department would issue ID cards for patients and regulate state-licensed dispensaries.
The agency estimates ongoing costs of $7.3 million, including program administration, registration and compliance that would involve random inspections of qualified caregivers, patients and compassionate care centers. Office equipment, space, security and an electronic registration system would cost another $1.4 million.
Because the measure has no delayed implementation date, it would take effect 30 days after it's passed, which would be "difficult to achieve," the memo says.
It also says the measure doesn't provide for safe packaging or specify where medical marijuana can be used, and that additional legislation would also be required to address student use of medical pot on school property.
The memo says legislation also would be needed to:
- Identify the legal responsibilities of designated caregivers and the qualifications for becoming one.
- Create a legal standard for adding to the list of medical conditions for which medical marijuana can be obtained.
- Limit the department's liability if a patient fails to notify the department that they're no longer eligible for medical marijuana.
- Determine which felony convictions exclude someone from becoming a designated caregiver.
Medical marijuana is currently legal in 25 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: North Dakota Agency Says Medical Marijuana Measure Would Cost $8.7M
Author: Mike Nowatzki
Contact: 701-252-3120
Photo Credit: Frederic J. Brown
Website: The Jamestown Sun
In a memo posted to its website Wednesday, the Health Department notes that revenue generated from medical marijuana registration and fees "is not sufficient to cover the costs of implementation or the ongoing costs associated with the measure," and a funding source will need to be found if the law ends up on the November ballot and voters approve it.
Sponsoring committee chairman Rilie Ray Morgan of Fargo said he hadn't seen the memo until a reporter contacted him about it Thursday morning and he needed more time to study it before commenting at length. But he called the $8.7 million estimate "an outrageous figure," noting it's more than twice the $3.9 million fiscal note for a medical marijuana legalization bill defeated by House lawmakers in February 2015.
"For a public agency that obviously is not in favor of this to come out and make these statements like this is fearmongering at its best," he said, accusing the department of exploiting the state's cash-strapped status to "make this sound really bad so the voters of North Dakota will say, 'We can't afford that.' "
Sponsors delivered about 17,600 signatures Monday to Secretary of State Al Jaeger to try to get the Compassionate Care Act on the Nov. 8 ballot. Jaeger has 35 days to verify the required 13,452 signatures.
While state agencies are prohibited from supporting or opposing initiated measures, Health Department spokeswoman Colleen Reinke said the agency reviewed the 34-page measure's language because it is the primary agency that would administer the regulations.
"The way the measure is drafted, we just have questions about how some of the provisions are going to work," she said.
The memo was posted the same day Gov. Jack Dalrymple announced he is calling state lawmakers into special session on Aug. 2 to balance a revenue shortfall projected to reach $310 million by the end of the current biennium on June 30, 2017. Dalrymple also has asked the Health Department and other general fund agencies to cut 10 percent from their original 2015-17 appropriations when preparing their 2017-19 budget requests.
"Implementing it will take money, and we don't have it," Reinke said of the measure. "The Legislature would have to take care of it."
The measure would make it legal for qualifying patients to have up to 3 ounces for treatment of about a dozen debilitating medical conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, AIDS and glaucoma, while allowing the Health Department to add more. The department would issue ID cards for patients and regulate state-licensed dispensaries.
The agency estimates ongoing costs of $7.3 million, including program administration, registration and compliance that would involve random inspections of qualified caregivers, patients and compassionate care centers. Office equipment, space, security and an electronic registration system would cost another $1.4 million.
Because the measure has no delayed implementation date, it would take effect 30 days after it's passed, which would be "difficult to achieve," the memo says.
It also says the measure doesn't provide for safe packaging or specify where medical marijuana can be used, and that additional legislation would also be required to address student use of medical pot on school property.
The memo says legislation also would be needed to:
- Identify the legal responsibilities of designated caregivers and the qualifications for becoming one.
- Create a legal standard for adding to the list of medical conditions for which medical marijuana can be obtained.
- Limit the department's liability if a patient fails to notify the department that they're no longer eligible for medical marijuana.
- Determine which felony convictions exclude someone from becoming a designated caregiver.
Medical marijuana is currently legal in 25 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: North Dakota Agency Says Medical Marijuana Measure Would Cost $8.7M
Author: Mike Nowatzki
Contact: 701-252-3120
Photo Credit: Frederic J. Brown
Website: The Jamestown Sun
