Medical Marijuana

Indigenous Budz marijuana dispensary in Lake Andes. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Ban on added flavors in medical pot products shot down by legislative panel

BY: - November 7, 2023

Lawmakers swatted back an attempt to ban flavoring in marijuana edibles and vape products on Tuesday in Pierre. They also shot down a rule that would have forced cannabis manufacturers to test the rolling papers used to make pre-rolls – also known as joints — in addition to testing the pot inside them. The rules […]

Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary, shows marijuana plant buds on May 11, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Medical marijuana cards surpass 11,500

BY: - August 21, 2023

More than 11,500 South Dakotans hold medical marijuana cards two years after medical cannabis became legal in South Dakota. That’s well ahead of projections made by the state when the program first started in 2021, said Jennifer Seale, the state Department of Health’s medical cannabis program administrator. The state began issuing cards in November 2021 […]

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It’s hard to get stoked about repealing medical marijuana

BY: - August 8, 2023

One feature of South Dakota’s citizen ballot initiative process is that it values effort over expertise. Consider the case of Travis Ismay. The Newell man would like the 2024 election to include a ballot initiative repealing the legality of the state’s medical marijuana program.  Ismay is full of praise for the Legislative Research Council and […]

Gov. Kristi Noem speaks at the Calvin Coolidge Foundation conference at the Library of Congress on Feb. 17, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Legislative Roundup: Noem says no three times, but leaves big questions unanswered

BY: and - March 10, 2023

Gov. Kristi Noem has not vetoed the Legislature’s “historic” sales tax cut this week – which lawmakers passed Thursday in spite of her opposition – but she did flex her veto power. Noem issued her first veto on March 2, using a cattle “VETO” brand on a bill that would have allowed local business improvement […]

A neon sign advertises delta-8 products at a store in Sioux Falls. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight)

Recreational marijuana is illegal, but its high-inducing cousins are widespread

BY: - February 25, 2023

Recreational marijuana is illegal in South Dakota – voters confirmed as much in November – but the next best thing is available from border to border. The 2018 Farm Bill legalized the cultivation of hemp. By extension, it legalized two cannabinoids called delta-8 and delta-10 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which occur naturally in tiny amounts in the […]

Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary, shows marijuana plant buds on May 11, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Bills regulating medical marijuana ‘pop-up’ clinics pass House committee

BY: - February 7, 2023

Two bills regulating medical marijuana “pop-up clinics” passed the House Health and Human Services committee Tuesday morning at the Capitol in Pierre. The bills, one that would regulate pop-up clinic locations and another that would regulate advertisements and restrict telehealth meetings to obtain a medical marijuana card, passed through the committee 10-2 and 9-4, respectively. […]

Tim Blakeley, manager of Sunset Junction medical marijuana dispensary, shows marijuana plant buds on May 11, 2010, in Los Angeles, California. (Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

State medical cannabis programs failing to make enough progress, advocacy group finds

BY: - February 3, 2023

WASHINGTON — A report from a patient advocacy group found the future of medical cannabis in the states is hazy unless costs are decreased, product safety standards are improved, and civil rights are strengthened for patients and prescribers.  Americans for Safe Access issued its annual State of the States report on Thursday. The organization, a […]

Lobbyist Jeremiah Murphy testifies in favor of a bill that would add eight conditions to those that qualify for a medical marijuana card during a hearing Jan. 18, 2023, at the Capitol in Pierre. (Joshua Haiar/SD Searchlight)

Bill would add conditions for medical marijuana, but also repeal public process

BY: - January 18, 2023

PIERRE — A bill in the Legislature would add eight conditions to those that qualify a patient for a medical marijuana card, but the bill would also remove a public process to add more conditions to the list. A legislative committee approved the bill Wednesday on a 6-1 vote and sent it to the full […]

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Biden’s marijuana pardons are a seismic shift

BY: - November 25, 2022

Fulfilling a high-profile campaign pledge, President Joe Biden recently announced that his office will be issuing pardons to several thousand Americans with federal convictions for marijuana possession offenses. “There are thousands of people who have prior federal convictions for marijuana possession, who may be denied employment, housing, or educational opportunities as a result,” the president said. “My […]

A South Dakota hunter walks the tall grass with his dog.

GF&P: Medical marijuana patients won’t lose hunting rights

BY: - November 23, 2022

Sioux Falls lawyer Ryan Kolbeck typically doesn’t deal with legal questions about hunting licenses. The criminal defense attorney did field multiple calls on the topic in the days following the Nov. 8 election, however. They started coming in shortly after it became clear that South Dakota voters had voted to reject the legalization of recreational […]

(Carol Yepes/Getty Images)

Lawmakers look to restrict expansion of medical cannabis conditions

BY: - November 16, 2022

Lawmakers want to make it more difficult to expand the list of conditions that might qualify a citizen for a medical marijuana card. South Dakota’s voter-backed medical marijuana statute includes a clause that allows patients to petition the state Department of Health (DOH) to add “debilitating” medical conditions to the list of ailments treatable by […]

Medical marijuana products. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Oversight committee clashes over ‘pop-up’ medical marijuana clinics

BY: - October 25, 2022

A medical marijuana card clinic popped up in early October at the Watertown Hampton Inn, where walk-ins were welcome. An advance notice in the local newspaper said “certification takes roughly five minutes,” and the medical cannabis card would be mailed to the patient once approved. That’s how most medical marijuana patients in South Dakota are […]