Judiciary committee votes 'do not pass' on bill to convert low‑level marijuana possession to citation

The Judiciary Committee voted to recommend a “do not pass” on House Bill 1596, a bill that would convert certain low‑level marijuana and paraphernalia offenses into noncriminal citations rather than criminal charges. The committee vote was 5 in favor of a do‑not‑pass recommendation and 2 opposed; the motion was moved by Senator José Castaneda and seconded by Senator Lueck.

Sponsors and supporters said HB1596 is intended to reduce workload for prosecutors, defenders and courts without eliminating a monetary deterrent. Representative Liz Conmey, sponsor and District 11 lawmaker from Fargo, told the committee the bill responds to suggestions from county state’s attorneys and law‑enforcement agencies aimed at easing congestion in courtrooms and prosecutorial offices. “HB 1596 makes the least of these marijuana offenses a non criminal citation,” Conmey said, adding that the measure keeps the same fine while reducing required court appearances.

Conmey summarized state data she said informed the bill: between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2024, North Dakota recorded 8,676 marijuana charges, 7,365 cases opened and roughly 17,000…