(GDNS)- Today (Mon.) is the last day of South Dakota’s legislative session, and lawmakers could decide the fate of a medical marijuana program approved by voters but opposed by Governor Kristi Noem.
Noem, a staunch critic of legalizing marijuana in any form, had pushed to delay starting a medical cannabis program until 2022, but is now urging lawmakers to consider a host of restrictions before the program is implemented July 1.
South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws director Matthew Schweich says earlier this year, things didn’t look good for an on-time start. He credits the turnaround to a grassroots effort to defend the will of the public.
“We generated thousands of calls and thousands of emails. And by doing that, we fought off some very severe delays.”
Schweich’s group has offered some compromises along the way, including counter-provisions to the tighter restrictions Noem is floating. But, he says, they are standing firm in negotiations.
“The original bill says three plants per patient. We’re proposing that that be increased to six plants. Three would be the lowest plant count of any medical marijuana law in the country that allows home cultivation by patients.”
In November, two ballot initiatives were approved, one for medical cannabis use, another for recreational use for adults. Recreational is tied up in the courts after Noem filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the Constitutional Amendment. She and other opponents argue the amendment is too broad.
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