One initiated constitutional measure in the works for more than a year will not make it on the ballot in November.

The North Dakota Freedom of Cannabis Act would legalize recreational marijuana in the state for those 21 and older. It would also allow North Dakotans to grow a small number of plants at home, but it specifically bars public consumption.

In early June, we spoke with Measure Chair Jody Vetter, when the grassroots group still needed about 10,000 more signatures.

Wednesday was the deadline to turn the measure into the Secretary of State’s office with a minimum of 27,000 valid signatures.

They were about 3,000 short.

Although the coronavirus made gathering signatures extra difficult, Vetter is already getting the sponsoring committee together to resign the same draft of the measure and resubmit it by Aug. 1. After that, it’s back to getting signatures for the November 2022 election.

“It really, it’s beyond time. I mean people are still getting arrested, you’re still getting harassed by social services, you’re still getting harassed by police. I mean my daughter just got pulled over last week for expired tabs and the first thing the cop asked her is if she has any marijuana in the car. So, people are still getting harassed… I mean it’s 2020, it’s a plant,” Vetted shared.

Legalize ND has its own recreational cannabis initiative. According to the group’s webpage, they also are now working toward 2022.