North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum (R), who announced his candidacy for the Republican presidential nomination in 2024 on June 7, 20,23, is running.
The Governor has approved a number of marijuana policy reforms on a state-level, but he has not embraced adult-use legalization. He also opposes ballot initiatives that would enact a similar system in his state.
Burgum signed several bills during his tenure, including those that decriminalized simple possession of cannabis, increased the THC limit for medical cannabis and allowed hospice patients to self-certify themselves as medical marijuana users. Burgum has also called for reforms in Congress to decriminalize marijuana and end the conflict between state and federal governments on marijuana banking.
The candidate also boasted about marijuana-related pardons he has issued personally after reviewing people’s record.
He has signed reform bills but also approved legislation that will reduce protections for the medical cannabis program in the state. This includes the removal of a policy which allows patients to grow cannabis for therapeutic reasons.
Burgum’s opponents for the GOP nomination are former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), U.S. Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former South Carolina Governor. Nikki Haley (R).
Doug Burgum, Republican candidate for president, on marijuana:
Legislation and Policy Actions
The Governor signed legislation in North Dakota in 2019 which decriminalized low level marijuana possession. First-time offenders who are caught with less than half an ounce of cannabis will be subject to a $1,000 fine without any jail time.
Burgum passed a law in March 2023 allowing hospice patients who self-certify to be medical marijuana patients. According to the law, terminally-ill patients can use their hospice admission as proof to register for medical cannabis.
In addition, he has made it a point to promote executive pardons he issued after the decriminalization law was passed. He granted summary pardons to 16 cannabis offenders in 2020 under a streamlined procedure established by the Pardon Advisory Board.
A new, streamlined procedure approved 16 pardons for low-level marijuana crimes today. We can give people a chance to live a productive, healthy life by removing the stigma associated with these minor crimes. This will also help our state address its workforce shortage. https://t.co/bxoAdr9a72
— Gov. Doug Burgum 17 January 2020
Burgum stated. By removing the stigma associated with these minor offenses we can give individuals a chance to live a healthy, productive and successful life. We also help solve our state’s shortage of workers.
He added that “every recommended pardon” is reviewed carefully with an emphasis on public safety, victims’ rights and ensuring the pardon solves a problem and does not create one for the society.
In November 2020, he pardoned another 24 people who had cannabis convictions in their records. A spokesperson said that the governor takes “very seriously” the responsibility of reviewing each recommendation from the board.
After a bill he had signed restructured the state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Board, in 2021 the Governor sought candidates to serve on the North Dakota Medical Marijuana Advisory Board.
Burgum wrote in a letter sent to board members who had been statutorily required to resign due to the new law, “Your leadership, commitment of time and energy as well as your talent have contributed to the Board’s progress and success.” The Board’s work on the foundation was crucial to creating a medical marijuana program that has sound and reasonable guidelines. This will have a lasting impact on North Dakotans.
In 2019, he passed HB 1283 which relaxed restrictions for participation in the program. This included allowing veterans to use their diagnoses from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to qualify as a state medical cannabis patient.
Burgum approved legislation for 2023, which allowed some patients to possess and purchase up to 7.5 ounces cannabis at a time.
In 2021 he approved a hemp law that included regulations on delta-8 THC-containing products. The legislators claimed that this was to prevent the sale of items that had high concentrations.
In the same year, the Governor signed measure which united the state’s departments of health and human service into one entity. This included the incorporation of the medical marijuana division within the health agency.
In 2021, he signed legislation that removed a $50 application charge for medical cannabis caregivers. He also expanded the number patients caregivers can work with. The members of the Medical Marijuana Advisory Board were revised. He highlighted this bill in an overview of achievements at the end that year’s legislature.
Burgum released a executive order detailing the types of businesses which would be required to suspend their operations, and those who could continue to operate. Medical cannabis dispensaries were able to serve patients despite the coronavirus outbreak in 2020.
Burgum, to the dismay of some advocates, signed legislation that revised the medical cannabis program of the state in many ways. This included the elimination of the right of patients to cultivate their own cannabis at home.
On the Campaign Trail
Burgum does not seem to have publicly commented on marijuana-related policy issues since he announced his candidacy.
Previous Quotes and Social Media Posts
Burgum, who has stated that he does not want “full and unfettered legalization” of recreational marijuana, described the ballot measure for 2022 that was ultimately rejected by voters as “very reasonable.”
He was more open to a cannabis measure earlier in 2018. He encouraged voters “to educate themselves on the specific language and wide-ranging implications of all ballot initiatives.”
The Governor has said that he would like to see Congress decriminalize cannabis and that federal cannabis banking legislation is “way overdue.”
He said that as long as the banking system prohibits anyone from banking with the cannabis industry, you are creating a cash-based economy. He added that he is “absolutely aligned” with the members of Congress working to resolve this issue.
Burgum thanked the health department for its “speed and care” in implementing North Dakota’s medical cannabis program, which was approved by voters in 2016.
The governor said that he has personally met people who have “sought real relief” from medical marijuana.
In the most recent episode of our podcast, Mylynn Tufte, the State Health Officer, joins us to talk about the medical marijuana program and child immunizations, as well as some other ways that the @NDDOH supports healthy lives for North Dakotans. Check it out! https://t.co/LXdjXdAntW
— Gov. Doug Burgum 15 July 2019
Burgum’s spokesperson also confirmed that in 2018, the governor supported legislative attempts to decriminalize cannabis after a failed attempt to legalize it for adults.
Burgum, who has a general criticism of drug criminalization in the past, said that “the drug war can become a war against people with health issues” (February 2023).
North Dakota’s approach is that “if there’s going to be a drug war…it could become a battle on people with health issues” Governor. @DougBurgum explains @margbrennan. We have to understand “that if people have the disease of addiction, it’s not a moral choice or a failure.” pic.twitter.com/vaFgWYj7PW
Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation February 12 2023
He said that “people who have addiction are not moral failures or failings.”
In 2019, Governor highlighted the expansion of the state’s Medical Cannabis Program as an example “progress” by citizen-focused agencies.
Marijuana: My Personal Experience
Burgum does not seem to have publicly commented on his personal cannabis experience.
Marijuana Under A Burgum Presidency
Burgum has expressed support for federal reform of cannabis, from decriminalization to banking. Although he has expressed his opposition to certain state-level legalization proposals proposed by activists on the ballot, he referred to the latest version as “very reasonable.”
Burgum signed several bills to expand the medical cannabis program in Washington state. However, certain advocates have criticized him for approving legislation which removed a right that is considered crucial for patients: home cultivation.
The governor is one of the most established candidates for the GOP presidential nomination in terms of cannabis policy. Many of his actions as governor were in favor of reform, even though he did not actively advocate for all of them. This indicates that he is likely to sign cannabis legislation if it was sent to him by Congress.
The first time Marijuana Moment was published, the post Doug Burgum’s Position on Marijuana.
