North Dakota Says It Can't Afford A Medical Marijuana Program
It would cost North Dakota's Health Department more than $3.5-million a year and a small army of workers to regulate medical marijuana if the issue appears on the November ballot and voters approve it, according to an analysis by the agency.
The analysis was released last week, a few hours after Republican Gov. Jack Dalrymple called a special session of the North Dakota Legislature to address a $310-million shortfall to the state treasury, which may require cuts to the Health Department and other agencies.
Rilie Ray Morgan, a Fargo financial planner who is heading the effort to legalize marijuana for medicinal purposes, called the estimates "overblown" and an attempt to derail the effort in a budget-challenged state, a charge the agency denies.
"Everybody knows the state is struggling financially," said Morgan, who suffers from chronic back pain and would like the option of using the drug for pain relief. "Obviously,...
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