South Dakota Democrats not holding their breath on legal cannabis

South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws submitted to a Republican secretary of state over 50,000 signatures in support of a ballot measure that would allow adults 21 and older to possess and distribute up to one ounce and cultivate up to three plants for personal use. If passed the measure would direct South Dakota's whack job legislature to establish therapeutic and industrial cannabis (hemp) programs. Another group was able to submit petitions, too.

Republican Governor Kristi Noem dropped her opposition to hemp to give voters fewer reasons to support Amendment A and if blue state legislatures like New Mexico's and Minnesota's can't legalize for all adults it's virtually impossible to see South Dakota's legislature doing it.

“I think those two ballot initiatives probably have a chance,” said Senate Minority Leader Troy Heinert, Mission, of initiatives to legalize the use of recreational marijuana and medical marijuana. How the Legislature handles the possible passage of those initiatives concerns Heinert, who doesn’t want lawmakers to overturn the will of the people the way they did after the passage of Initiated Measure 22 in 2016. IM 22 revised the state’s campaign finance and lobbying laws. House Minority Leader Jamie Smith of Sioux Falls said all legislators are working to find extra funding for what’s known as the Big Three: education, Medicaid providers and state employee salaries.

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