Marijuana not part of North Dakota's corporate farming ban

BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) — North Dakota's Great Depression-era law banning corporate farming won't preclude horticulture operations from growing medical marijuana, provided it's not done on agricultural land, the state's attorney general has determined.

The state health department sought clarification from Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem on how the program voters approved in November 2016 will apply to large corporations, which are barred from owning and operating farms. The agency is in the process of accepting applications from potential marijuana growers, which might include large corporations.

The intent of the longstanding ban is to protect the state's family farming heritage.