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Northern Mariana Islands

Regulatory Framework

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Cannabis Commission (CNMICC) was formed as an independent agency in 2018 within the commonwealth's executive branch [1]. The Taulamwaar Sensible CNMI Cannabis Act of 2018, also called CNMI Public Law 20-66, established the commission and outlined the cannabis legalization process. However, the commonwealth's governor vetoed several portions of the original law, leading to the passage of supplemental legislation in 2019, CNMI Public Law 21-05 [2].

Legal Status

Market Status
Adult-Use Legal, Public Law 20-66 (2018) [3]
Medical Legal, Public Law 20-66 (2018)
Homegrow Legal, Public Law 20-66 (2018)

Track-and-Trace

As of October 2024, CNMICC had been using Marijuana Software, LLC out of Oregon, but funding for a tracking system hasn't been provided by the commonwealth government, and a commission member indicated in a June public meeting that their search for a vendor was ongoing [4] [5].

Licensing

CNMICC has a licensing page with guides for each license type, which include an application, individual history, list of requirements, and a process map specific to each license type; along with both application and licensing fees. The commission offers licenses for cannabis production, processing, retail, consumption lounges, temporary events, and testing laboratories. Those interested in testing facilities or event licensing are advised to contact the commission directly [6].

Possession Limits

Item Possession Limit
Marijuana Flower 1 ounce [7]
Solid Marijuana Products 16 ounces
Liquid Marijuana Products 72 ounces
Extracts 5 grams
Immature Plants 6 plants

Medical Cannabis

CNMICC is also responsible for the medical patient and caregiver registry, primarily aimed for patients under 21 with any of the following conditions [7]:

  • ADD/ADHD
  • AIDS/HIV
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Cancer
  • Cachexia/wasting syndrome
  • Crohn's disease
  • Glaucoma
  • Hepatitis C
  • PTSD
  • Ulcerative colitis
  • A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition (or its treatment) that produces: stroke; diabetes; Parkinson's disease; Wilson's disease; traumatic brain injury; muscular dystrophy; cerebral palsy; asthma; other types of immune-modulated inflammatory diseases; severe, debilitating pain; severe nausea; seizures; neurological disorders; or severe and persistent muscle spasms.
  • Any other serious medical condition or its treatment provided for by the Commission regulation in consultation with the Commonwealth Healthcare Corporation (CHCC) or other medical professionals.

Requirements for the patient registry follow the same process and rules used for the Homegrow Registry. Rules require caregivers for any medical patient under 18 to be "a person who is 21 years of age or older who is responsible for the medical marijuana patient's needs to the production, processing, keeping, or storage of homegrown marijuana at a household or cultivation site" [8].

Homegrow

Adults may possess no more than 6 cannabis plants, and they are required to register their grow with CNMICC [9]. Additional homegrow regulations were approved by commissioners in 2024, and the commission has a homegrow registration application page and process map [6] [10].

Additional Resources

References