Recreational marijuana is illegal in South Dakota – voters confirmed as much in November – but the next best thing is available from bordering states. However, law enforcement officials in the state are prepared to uphold the law if people bring marijuana across the border. Minnehaha County Sheriff Mike Milstead says that South Dakota is prepared to uphold the law if people bring Marijuana across the border. Despite efforts to legalize marijuana for Recreational use in South Dakota, it remains illegal.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — Two years ago, the ballot measure to legalize marijuana (Amendment A) won 25 counties in South Dakota and passed, but it was later struck down by a judge. In November 2020, voters in South Dakota again weighed in on legalizing marijuana for Recreational use, but the ballot measure failed. However, medical marijuana is legal in the state and has been since 2017.
Twenty-two states – along with Washington, D.C. and Guam – have acted to legalize Recreational marijuana. Despite this, South Dakota remains one of the few states where Recreational marijuana is illegal. The opposition to an effort to legalize Recreational marijuana in South Dakota on the ballot on Tuesday, Nov. 3, was strong, with many arguing that marijuana use could lead to an increase in crime and drug addiction.
Voters in Missouri, Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Maryland voted on legalizing Recreational marijuana in the 2020 election. South Dakota was the only state where the ballot measure failed. However, some cannabis activists in South Dakota are already planning a new Recreational marijuana legal effort.
Ballot measures to legalize Recreational marijuana use failed in three states and passed in two, according to CNN projections. This indicates that momentum for legal has been growing in some states, while others are still resistant to the idea. In South Dakota, those who support legal for Recreational use will likely have to continue working towards their goal, as the state has shown reluctance to change its laws.
Fresh off a loss in this year's midterm elections, cannabis activists in South Dakota are planning a new Recreational marijuana legal effort. They are hoping to put a new ballot measure up for a vote in 2022. The proposed measure would legalize marijuana for Recreational use for adults over the age of 21 and allow for the cultivation, sale, and possession of marijuana.
Two bills placing more restrictions on medical marijuana passed the South Dakota House Health and Human Services Committee in February 2021. The bills would require doctors to report medical marijuana use to a statewide database and would prohibit medical marijuana patients from growing their own plants. Supporters of medical marijuana in the state are concerned that these restrictions could limit access to the drug for those who need it.
In conclusion, South Dakota remains one of the few states where Recreational marijuana use is illegal. Despite efforts to legalize marijuana for Recreational use in the state, the ballot measure failed in the 2020 election. medical marijuana is legal in the state, but some lawmakers are working to place more restrictions on its use. Cannabis activists in South Dakota are planning a new Recreational marijuana legal effort, but it remains to be seen if they will be successful. Law enforcement officials in the state are prepared to uphold the current laws on marijuana use, even if people bring the drug across state lines.
