January 6, 2020
A proposed measure legalizing and regulating the adult use and retail sale of marijuana in South Dakota has qualified for the 2020 ballot.
The South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office acknowledged Monday that the proposed constitutional amendment will appear on the November ballot. The measure permits individuals 21 and older to possess and purchase up to an ounce of cannabis and creates a system to license and regulate retail marijuana businesses. Limited home cultivation is also permitted under the measure.
The proposal is the second marijuana-specific initiative to be approved by the Secretary of State’s office. Last month, officials similarly certified Measure 26, which legalizes patients’ access to medical cannabis, for the November ballot.
“South Dakota will become the first state in American history to vote on both medical marijuana and adult-use legalization initiatives on the same ballot,” Matthew Schweich, deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, told the website Marijuana Moment, which first broke the news. MPP and the New Approach PAC are actively backing both proposals. South Dakota is one of only three states that has not enacted any legislation providing some form of medical cannabis or CBD access.
Eleven states and the District of Columbia have legalized the use of marijuana by adults. In December, New Jersey lawmakers also decided to place an adult-use legalization question on the November 2020 ballot.
Additional information on the pending South Dakota initiatives is available from South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws.
