Cannabis in Minot & Minot AFB ICBM Mission

Minot / Ward County: population ~48,000. Home to Minot Air Force Base — Air Force Global Strike Command, hosting both the 91st Missile Wing (Minuteman III ICBM mission) and the 5th Bomb Wing (B-52 Stratofortress mission). One of the most secure federal installations in the country. Curaleaf Minot at 2301 16th St SW. Ward County ~12% of state patients. Minot historically gateway between Bakken oil patch, Canada (via Portal/US-52), and I-94 corridor.

Legal Disclaimer: This information reflects North Dakota cannabis law as of May 2026 and is for educational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Laws and regulations change — always verify current rules with the North Dakota Department of Health and Human Services (NDDHHS) Division of Medical Marijuana or a qualified attorney. Cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

Last verified: May 2026

Minot — Ward County

Minot ("MY-not") is North Dakota’s fourth-largest city, with a population of approximately 48,000. The city sits in Ward County in north-central ND on the I-94 east-west corridor. Historically, Minot has served as a gateway between the Bakken oil patch (to the west), Canada (via Portal/US-52 to the north), and the I-94 corridor (to the south).

Minot Air Force Base — Air Force Global Strike Command

Minot Air Force Base is one of the most strategically critical federal installations in the United States. Under Air Force Global Strike Command, Minot AFB hosts both:

91st Missile Wing — Minuteman III ICBM Mission

The 91st Missile Wing operates one of three Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) wings in the U.S. (alongside the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, and the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana). The 91st operates 150 ICBMs distributed across silos in a wide area of north-central North Dakota.

5th Bomb Wing — B-52 Stratofortress Mission

The 5th Bomb Wing operates B-52H Stratofortress strategic bombers from Minot AFB. The B-52 mission is part of the U.S. nuclear-deterrent triad (alongside ICBMs and submarine-based ballistic missiles).

One of the Most Secure Federal Installations

The combined ICBM + B-52 mission at Minot AFB makes the base one of the most secure federal installations in the United States. Personnel face:

Personnel Reliability Program (PRP) certification for nuclear-mission positions.
Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information clearances widely held.
Continuous Evaluation / Trusted Workforce 2.0 monitoring.
Random and post-incident drug testing with PRP enhanced protocols.
UCMJ Article 112a active-duty cannabis prohibition.

Cannabis use is categorically incompatible with virtually any Minot AFB role. The April 28, 2026 Schedule III rescheduling order does not change federal drug-testing or PRP certification.

Curaleaf Minot

Curaleaf Minot at 2301 16th St SW is the licensed dispensary serving the Minot area. Operated by Curaleaf, the multi-state operator (140+ dispensaries nationally). Ward County contributes approximately 12% of state medical-cannabis patients — the third-largest county share after Cass (Fargo, 24%) and Burleigh (Bismarck, 14%).

The Ward County Patient Share — ~12%

Ward County’s 12% patient share reflects:

Population concentration in the Minot metro.
Healthcare workforce (Trinity Health, CHI St. Alexius regional).
Federal-employee constraint (Minot AFB ~6,000+ personnel categorical exclusion).
Cross-border consideration (Canada via US-52 to Portal).

The Portal Crossing on US-52

US-52 connects Minot to the Canadian border at Portal, Burke County — ND’s second-busiest port of entry (after Pembina). Portal handles significant truck traffic to/from Manitoba/Canada. The Minot-Portal corridor is part of the cross-border cannabis interdiction posture; Minot AFB’s federal-installation drug-testing reality + ND state-law concentrate Class C felony + CBP federal-felony border combine to create a layered exposure stack for any Minot resident considering cross-border cannabis activity. See Manitoba/Canada page.

Major Minot Employers

Minot Air Force Base (~6,000+ personnel + family).
Trinity Health (regional healthcare hub).
CHI St. Alexius Health Minot.
Minot State University (~3,000 students; federally-funded).
BNSF Railway (FRA Part 219 drug testing).
Hess Corporation Bakken operations.
Various federal contractors supporting Minot AFB mission.

Minot Cannabis Reality

State-licensed Curaleaf Minot for ND patients.
Federal-installation categorical exclusion for Minot AFB community.
Trinity Health / CHI healthcare-worker drug-testing.
Cross-border Manitoba/Canada via Portal — federal felony either direction.
Cross-border Montana via Williston / Sidney / Glendive (~150 miles west).
Bakken oil-patch worker overlap with Williston market.

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue (R-Minot)

Senate Majority Leader David Hogue (R-Minot) sets policy tone for the ND Senate, which has been the consistent firewall against recreational and decriminalization-expansion legislation (HB 1420 2021 defeated in Senate; HB 1596 2025 decrim defeated in Senate). Hogue’s Minot base reflects the federal-installation constituency’s policy preferences. See reform legislators page.