A Senate committee is sending a measure that would permit the use of recreational marijuana by adults to the Senate floor without committee recommendation.
HB 1420 would allow adults to use a small amount of marijuana on their own property. It would not allow anyone to grow their own – and only allows established grow centers and “compassion centers” established for medical marijuana to grow and sell the product.
The measure’s supporters say this would hopefully head off a potential initiated Constitutional measure.
"I don't want this bill," said Sen. Kathy Hogan (D-Fargo), a member of the Senate Human Services committee. "But I think this should not be a Constitutional issue. I think this is just preventive action."
But Sen. Howard Anderson (R-Turtle Lake) said for him, that wasn’t a good enough reason to support the measure.
"I think we have to have some confidence in the public, that they will do the right thing," Anderson said.
The measure earlier passed the House 56 to 38. The committee split 3 and 3 on both a “do pass” and a “do not pass” recommendation, before voting 5 to 1 on a “without committee recommendation.”