![](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-5.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
South Dakota activists have collected enough signatures to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot, the secretary of state\u2019s office announced on Monday.<\/p>\n
About a month after South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) submitted the petitions<\/a>, Secretary of State Monae Johnson\u2019s (R) office confirmed that the campaign collected 22,558 valid signatures\u2014which is about 5,000 more than required for ballot placement.<\/p>\n For months it\u2019s been unclear if\u00a0the grassroots efforts would be able reach the signature threshold for ballot placement<\/a>, as national industry and philanthropic financial support has been negligible this cycle. But the campaign pushed forward, and now the state has verified their success.<\/p>\n People have until July 3 to challenge the state\u2019s verification of signatures, the secretary\u2019s office said<\/a> in a press release.<\/p>\n We qualified for the November 2024 ballot! To everyone who gave their time, energy, or signature to this petition, we thank you \u2013 qualifying an initiative for the ballot is the first step towards reforming South Dakota\u2019s cannabis policy in 2024. pic.twitter.com\/kfKDteF6ei<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (@southdakotamj) June 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n The initiative will appear on the ballot as Measure 29.<\/p>\n Voters did approve an earlier legalization initiative in 2020, but it later was invalidated by the state Supreme Court over single-subject concerns. The campaign\u2019s second initiative in 2022 was rejected by voters<\/a>. A separate medical cannabis initiative that was also approved by voters in 2020 was not challenged and remains state law.<\/p>\n In December,\u00a0the secretary of state\u2019s office approved a circulator handout<\/a>\u00a0submitted by SDBML, a requirement that has allowed the campaign to deploy paid canvassers to gather signatures along with its grassroots network of volunteers who have been distributing petitions.<\/p>\n The campaign material\u00a0simply features\u00a0the state attorney general\u2019s title and explanation of the ballot measure<\/a>, which was finalized in August.<\/p>\n The initiative would allow adults 21 and older to purchase and possess up to two ounces of cannabis. They could also grow up to six plants per person for personal use, which is up from three plants in the last version. There\u2019s also a 12-plant maximum per shared living household\u2014double the prior six-plant limit.<\/p>\n Now the campaign\u2019s mission is to win over voters who rejected legalization in the last election.<\/p>\n PRESS RELEASE: Fourth Ballot Question Validated for 2024 General Electionhttps:\/\/t.co\/wmcAXvdpwy<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/unTDuODmB7<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 South Dakota Secretary of State (@sodaksos) June 3, 2024<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n \u201cQualifying for the ballot is an enormous accomplishment and one worth celebrating. But we need to get right back to work\u2014Election Day is just five months away,\u201d Matthew Schweich, executive director of SDBML, said in an email blast to supporters on Monday. \u201d Let\u2019s take the energy and momentum from our successful signature drive and channel it towards a victory this fall!\u201d<\/p>\n Ahead of that election, a poll found that 51 percent of South Dakotans\u00a0planned to vote against the legalization measure<\/a>, while 40 percent said they\u2019d be supporting it and 10 percent remained undecided. That was\u00a0the third poll in a row<\/a>\u00a0showing the legalization measure behind<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0a separate proposed 2024 legalization ballot measure<\/a>, sponsored by Rapid City resident Emmett Reistroffer, also received its final ballot explanation from the state attorney general. That initiative would legalize adult-use possession and cultivation of cannabis, while allowing medical marijuana dispensaries to serve adult consumers. That said, the chief backer of the proposal said he had no plans to collect signatures or campaign for the change.<\/p>\n Separately, opponents of legalization filed\u00a0two other proposed ballot measures<\/a>\u00a0to tighten drug laws in the state.\u00a0One would repeal the state\u2019s medical marijuana law, while the other would keep federally banned substances from ever being legalized by voters.<\/p>\n The state attorney general\u00a0finalized the ballot explanation for the medical marijuana repeal measure<\/a>\u00a0last August. But SDBML\u00a0has said the initiative should be thrown out<\/a>\u00a0due to an alleged error in how the proposal was filed, failing to include a full list of the state statutes it would seek to undo.<\/p>\n After voters approved medical cannabis legalization in 2020, the governor tried to get the legislature to\u00a0approve a bill to delay implementation<\/a>\u00a0for an additional year. But while it cleared the House, negotiators were unable to reach an agreement with the Senate in conference, dealing a defeat to the governor.<\/p>\n In response, Gov. Kristi Noem\u2019s (D) office started exploring a compromise<\/a>, with one proposal that came out of her administration to decriminalize possession of up to one ounce of cannabis, limit the number of plants that patients could cultivate to three and prohibit people under 21 from qualifying for medical marijuana.<\/p>\n \u2014 In the 2022 legislative session, the House\u00a0rejected a legalization bill that the Senate had passed<\/a>, effectively leaving it up to activists to get on the ballot again.<\/p>\n A Marijuana Interim Study Committee, headed by legislative leaders, was established to explore cannabis policy reform, and the panel in November 2021 recommended that the legislature\u00a0take up legalization<\/a>. The House-defeated legislation was one of the direct products of that recommendation.<\/p>\n The governor separately signed a bill into law in February that will require patients to check off a box on medical marijuana card applications affirming that they\u2019re aware that\u00a0federal law prohibits cannabis consumers from buying and possessing firearms<\/a>.<\/p>\n Currently\u00a0more than 11,500 people in South Dakota hold medical marijuana cards<\/a>\u2014nearly double the 6,000 cardholders that state officials expected to enroll in the program by 2024.<\/p>\n Where Presidential Candidate Donald Trump Stands On Marijuana<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The post South Dakota Voters Will Decide On Marijuana Legalization At The Ballot This November, State Officials Announce<\/a> appeared first on Marijuana Moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n
South Dakota activists have collected enough signatures to put a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot, the secretary of state\u2019s office announced on Monday. About a month after South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) submitted the petitions, Secretary of State Monae Johnson\u2019s (R) office confirmed that the campaignContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":458,"featured_media":75913,"comment_status":"false","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[18,81],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75912"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/458"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=75912"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75912\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":75914,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/75912\/revisions\/75914"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/75913"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=75912"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=75912"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=75912"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
\n
\nMarijuana Moment is tracking more than 1,500 cannabis, psychedelics and drug policy bills<\/a> in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters<\/a> pledging at least $25\/month get access to our interactive maps, charts and hearing calendar so they don\u2019t miss any developments.<\/strong>
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/MM_Bill_Tracker_V5_blank-4.jpg\"){kind=tracking}
<\/a>
\nLearn more about our marijuana bill tracker<\/a> and become a supporter on Patreon<\/a> to get access.
\n\u2014<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n
\n
\nRead More: South Dakota Voters Will Decide On Marijuana Legalization At The Ballot This November, State Officials Announce<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"