Members of the North Dakota House of Representatives on Tuesday morning approved three separate bills that would legalize and tax adult use marijuana and decriminalize low-level possession. All three measures will now be transmitted to the Senate for further consideration.

The first is House Bill 1420, to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults in the state, approved by a 56 to 38 vote. HB 1420 would allow adults 21 and older to legally possess up to one ounce of marijuana. An amendment adopted last week set a purchase limit for consumers at 21 grams twice per month from licensed retail outlets.

House lawmakers also approved a separate measure, House Bill 1501, which would impose a 15% gross receipt tax on adult use marijuana sales, by a 73 to 21 vote.

Lawmakers approved a third piece of legislation, House Bill 1201, by a 58 to 36 vote. HB 1201 would decriminalize the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana. If passed, the bill would amend penalties so that the possession of up to one ounce of marijuana is classified as a civil rather than a criminal offense, punishable by a ticket of up to $50. The measure also reduces penalties for the possession of larger quantities of marijuana.

Current law enacted in 2019, reclassified the possession of up to one-half ounce of cannabis and/or the personal possession of marijuana-related paraphernalia for a first-time offender from a criminal misdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail, to a criminal infraction – punishable by a fine but no possibility of jail time.

A separate measure that would have would placed an adult use marijuana ballot measure before voters to weigh in on during the 2022 election, was defeated by a 85 to 9 vote.

An activist group in North Dakota has already filed a proposed 2022 adult use marijuana legalization ballot measure. A separate ballot measure to legalize marijuana was narrowly defeated in 2018.