John SchroyerWill the third time be the charm for adult-use marijuana in South Dakota? Activists hope so.
A ballot measure to legalize recreational cannabis possession and use was qualified this week for the November ballot, marking the third time in four years the issue will go before state voters, the Associated Press reported.
The first time around, in 2020, voters gave the thumbs up to recreational marijuana while also approving a measure to legalize medical cannabis. While the medical industry launched in 2022, the recreational initiative was struck down by the courts after Gov. Kristi Noem and others filed a lawsuit opposing it.
In 2022, cannabis reformers tried again, but this time voters rejected the legalization question, by a majority of 53%.
The next shot will now be in November following the certification of the new ballot measure by Secretary of State Monae Johnson, the AP reported.
If approved, the ballot question would legalize possession and consumption for individuals of up to two ounces of marijuana and allow for limited home cultivation. What it doesn’t do is specify a market structure – such as the number of companies allowed, tax rates, and other issues. Instead it leaves those details to the state legislature.
“We firmly believe that South Dakotans deserve to make their own choices on how they live their lives, including the freedom to responsibly use cannabis,” Zebadiah Johnson, political director for the campaign, said in a statement.
So far, the only other two states that will have marijuana-related questions on their ballots this November are Florida and Arkansas. In the Sunshine State, multistate operator Trulieve is backing a campaign to legalize recreational sales of cannabis, while in Arkansas, marijuana reformers are attempting to get a broad expansion of the medical marijuana program past voters.
