Will You Have To Show ID In North Dakota To Buy Baking Soda?

We find ourselves asked to show our I.D. for more and more items on trips to the store, but this may just take the cake.

Now that fall has arrived, you probably bake frequently. You undoubtedly find yourself loading your shelves with a lot of fresh items because you need them for everything from pumpkin pies to Thanksgiving dinner to Christmas sweets.

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Or perhaps you're like me and were constantly taught to keep this fairly innocuous white powder in your refrigerator to ward off strange odors.

However, you might be startled the next time you visit the grocery store if you are prompted to provide your ID when you buy this usual ingredient: baking soda.

Why would I have to show ID in Michigan to purchase Baking Soda?

It might seem strange to be asked for identification while buying something so basic as baking soda. Additionally, not all stores will ask you; just a select few will.

Evidently, some individuals use baking soda for other purposes outside baking, which I wasn't even aware of (and perhaps neither are you). It can be a crucial component in the production of crack cocaine.

There are certain locations in the United States that have also been contemplating this, however it is not currently necessary in North Dakota. According to a post from a few years back on JohnLocke.org:

Now it seems that folks in Missouri may soon need an ID to purchase Baking Soda because it’s a substance used in the development of crack-cocaine. Now you might have to get carded in Missouri to bake a cake.

So, if you're requested to show identification when you go to buy baking soda the next time, don't be surprised. However, ideally it won't be made into a statute or kept behind a counter like other substances and household items that have been used for other illicit reasons.