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Anyone watching South Dakota'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's office, challenge the constitutionality of Amendment A. They say it violates SD'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'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/
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'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/
The 6-month delay is inline with compromises offered by pro-pot groups except it doesn'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/
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/
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'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/
March 8: Sen. Curd successfully amends HB 1100 on the Senate floor to grant Noem's 6-month delay for medical marijuana in exchange for decriminalizing up to 1 oz . Curd'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/
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/
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/
