The CNMI Cannabis Act of 2018 is a bill introduced in the Northern Mariana Islands Commonwealth Legislature in 2017 as SB 20-62. It was introduced by Senator Sixto Igisomar and would legalize cannabis possession and consumption by adults and create a Cannabis Commission to regulate sales in the Commonwealth. Hearings on the act were held in October, 2017; a senator said it had the highest public attendance of any hearings he knew of. On May 16, 2018 (May 15 in the States), SB 20-62 had a final vote in the Commonwealth's Senate, and was passed without opposition.[1] On May 30 (29 in the States), it passed the House Committee on Judiciary and Governmental Operations unanimously.
The act was initially fashioned like a referendum to appear as a ballot question for voters in November, 2018; that language was deleted when it was adopted by the Senate.