The South Dakota Board of Regents this week (June 23, 2021) adjusted its policies to account for the soon-to-be legal presence of medical marijuana in South Dakota. This comes after voters approved Initiated Measure 26 in the last general election.
The policy revisions take into account an intersection between state and federal law on this topic, board officials said. The Board of Regents will continue to prohibit the use or possession of marijuana, including medical marijuana, on property owned or controlled by the board or at events hosted or sponsored by the board or any of its institutions.
“Marijuana remains a controlled substance at the federal level, so we can’t allow it on campus due to two federal drug-free acts, which still have federal funding implications for our institutions,” Brian L. Maher, the regents’ executive director and CEO, explained.
The regents’ revised policy does not prohibit a student, employee, or visitor, who has a valid written certification for medical marijuana, from ingesting medical marijuana on other property not controlled or owned by the board. However, the new policies do place some limitations on individuals while they are on campus or working on campus.
When reporting to work, employees must not be impaired or otherwise unable to perform their work duties. Likewise, students attending class or participating in activities may not be impaired or otherwise disrupt academic or campus activities as a result of their off-campus medical marijuana use. Employees and students who violate those restrictions are subject to disciplinary action, the policy states.
Regents took final action to approve these policy changes Wednesday.
Comments