A panel decided Tuesday to move forward on legalizing cannabis for all purposes for people age 21 and older in South Dakota but keeping the current medical-cannabis program in place for people younger than 21.
The 8-2 recommendation came from the Legislature’s subcommittee on adult-use cannabis. The next steps are for the full cannabis study committee to decide whether the proposed bill should proceed and then to seek a green light from the Legislature’s Executive Board.
If those clearances occur, the legislation would be introduced in the 2022 session that opens in January. The bill would then go through the standard process of committee action and possibly votes by the 70-member House of Representatives and the 35-member Senate.
The move Tuesday came while the South Dakota Supreme Court continues to consider whether Constitutional Amendment A that voters approved 54-46% last November was valid. Amendment A legalized adult-use cannabis. Governor Kristi Noem opposed its passage and challenged it in court after the election.
Read more at keloland.com