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Anyone watching South Dakota& #39;s march toward legal marijuana have been taken for a wild ride since Nov. 3.
Lets all catch up here... (thread)
Lets all catch up here... (thread)
Nov. 3, 2020: South Dakota approve Initiated Measure 26, medical marijuana, with ~70% of the vote, and Constitutional Amendment A, recreational marijuana, with 54% of the vote.
Nov. 20: Pennington County sheriff and Highway Patrol superintendent, with the financial support of the governor& #39;s office, challenge the constitutionality of Amendment A. They say it violates SD& #39;s single subject rule and was not placed in the constitution in a legal manner.
Jan. 11: The 96th South Dakota Legislative session begins. A majority of its members are largely unenthusiastic about the idea of legal marijuana in South Dakota.
Feb. 10: Noem and House Speaker Spencer Gosch unveil House Bill 1100, which would delay implementation of IM26 by 1 year. It also provides that Noem gets to appoint a 10-member panel to craft a new medical marijuana law that could be more restrictive.
Feb. 17: The House State Affairs Committee hears from Noem& #39;s team about the complicated nature of standing up a medical marijuana program in the morning. In the evening, they hear emotional testimony from patients. https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/02/17/gov-kristi-noem-push-delay-medicinal-marijuana-south-dakota-clears-first-hurdle/6792145002/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
Feb. 17 (cont): The House State Affairs Committee votes 10-3 to send HB1100 to House floor with a "do pass" recommendation.
Feb. 25: House votes 40-28 to move House Bill 1100 over to the Senate after it& #39;s amended to cut the delay from 1 year to 6 months.
Senate passes a bill that would establish triggers for a retail marijuana licensing system if pot is legalized in a different fashion. https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/02/24/legal-marijuana-pot-south-dakota-grocery-stores-lawmakers-licensing-protocol/6805407002/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
The 6-month delay is inline with compromises offered by pro-pot groups except it doesn& #39;t provide legal protections for medical pot users in the interim. https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/02/22/pro-marijuana-groups-want-compromise-medical-marijuana-delay-south-dakota-governor-kristi-noem-legal/4540106001/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
Meanwhile, a Hughes County judge strikes down Amendment A, meaning recreational marijuana will continue to be illegal barring legislative action or a successful appeal. Pro-pot attorneys say they will https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/02/08/south-dakota-marijuana-court-strikes-down-recreational-pot-measure/4442883001/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
March 3: Lawmakers in both the Senate and House are busy dealing with a series of marijuana-related bill. The Senate Health and Human Services committee adds legal protections for medical pot patients into HB1100 and sends it the Senate floor with a "do pass" recommendation
The same day, the Senate State Affairs Committee killed an effort by Senate Minority Leader Troy Heinert, D-Mission, to legalize marijuana recreationally to the same degree as what Constitutional Amendment A called for.
Heinert& #39;s efforts failed 6-3 after Seidel repeated remarks she made to the House State Affairs Committee earlier in the day about pot causing psychosis. And Department of Public Safety officials voiced concerns
A bill to expunge minor marijuana convictions from South Dakotans records also went down in the Senate the same day. https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/03/03/officials-warn-south-dakota-lawmakers-dangers-pot-before-votes-marijuana-bills/6897790002/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
March 8: Sen. Curd successfully amends HB 1100 on the Senate floor to grant Noem& #39;s 6-month delay for medical marijuana in exchange for decriminalizing up to 1 oz . Curd& #39;s amendment also repeals possession by ingestion for marijuana. It passes 29-6 https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/03/08/medical-marijuana-south-dakota-senate-concedes-delay-adds-decriminalization-to-noem-house-bill/4602008001/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
Today March 10: House members deliberate behind closed door for more than hour over what to do: Concur with the senate & send a bill to Noem decriminalizing pot, or kill the bill and allow medical pot to proceed on July 1. They chose the latter option. https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/03/10/noem-anti-marijuana-lawmakers-have-concede-some-form-legalization/6939315002/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
Also March 10: Attorneys representing Constitutional Amendment A appeal to the SD Supreme Court in hopes of overturning the Hughes County ruling and restoring recreational marijuana use rights for South Dakotans. @stephengroves reports https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/03/11/south-dakota-marijuana-legal-weed-advocates-arguments-supreme-court-pot/6954169002/">https://www.argusleader.com/story/new...
