An agreement on the implementation of a voter approved measure legalizing the use of medical marijuana in South Dakota pushes the start out to 2022, rather than July 1, 2021.
Governor Kristi Noem and republican leadership in the state House and Senate say taking an extra year to implement Initiated Measure 26 create an interim committee to meet and recommend solutions before next year’s legislative session.
Noem says the state worked with industry experts Cannabis Public Policy Consulting when coming up with the proposed plan. She says CPPC has not seen a successful implementation of a medicinal marijuana program in 8 months, the time frame IM 26 currently requires. She says some states take more than two years for successful implementation, so the extra year will allow the state to address policy concerns and additional rules regarding IM 26.
Noem spokesperson Ian Fury told the South Dakota Broadcasters Association, “We do have concerns with portions of IM26 as currently written. The interim committee will work through those and recommend solutions.”
Medical marijuana was approved by 70% of South Dakota voters in November. A separate recreational marijuana law– Constitutional Amendment A– was approved by 54% of South Dakota voters, but was ruled unconstitutional by a Hughes County judge earlier this week (Feb. 8, 2021).
HB 1100 was amended to be the vehicle for the plan’s passage. You can read CPPC’s guidance to the state on the implementation timeline here.
Senate Majority Leader Gary Cammack says leadership supports the effort to properly implement a workable medical marijuana program. He says they “will honor the voters’ wishes.”
House Majority Leader Kent Peterson says there is no doubt that IM 26 passed in South Dakota and it’s their intention to “honor the will of the voters.” He says based upon the experiences in other states, they know it takes time to start implementing a safe and workable program.
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