Final Ballot Explanation Released For Initiated Measure To Legalize Recreational Marijuana and Create Dual-Use Licenses

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Final Ballot Explanation Released For Initiated Measure To Legalize Recreational Marijuana and Create Dual-Use Licenses

PIERRE, S.D. – The final ballot explanation for a draft initiated measure, proposed by Emmett Reistroffer of Rapid City, that would legalize recreational marijuana and create dual-use licenses for medical marijuana dispensaries, has been released filed with the Secretary of State by the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office.

Attorney General Marty Jackley takes no position on any such proposal for purposes of the ballot explanation. He has provided a fair and neutral explanation of the proposed initiated measure to help assist the voters.

The proposed initiated measure would allow individuals 21 years old or older to possess, grow, sell, ingest, and distribute marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia. The initiated measure does not affect laws dealing with hemp.  The measure also authorizes the South Dakota Department of Health to issue dual-use licenses to medical marijuana dispensaries.  A dual-use license allows dispensaries to sell marijuana to persons 21 years or older.

The final ballot explanation can be found here.

If the required 17,509 valid signatures are gathered and approved by the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office, the proposed initiated measure will be placed on the 2024 general ballot. A majority of the votes cast in the general election will be needed to pass the measure.

The Attorney General’s explanation was drafted after a review of all the comments received during the proposed amendment’s 10-day comment period. A total of six comments were received.

For more information regarding ballot measures, please visit the Secretary of State’s website.

14 thoughts on “Final Ballot Explanation Released For Initiated Measure To Legalize Recreational Marijuana and Create Dual-Use Licenses”

  1. Or you can move to New Mexico and grow as much as ya want. $71,500 but I’m desperate and will sell dirt cheap. 505-365-3441, Ask fer Crazy Larry or I am at the Dakota Septic Tank posting.

    Ignore the 10 reason no one is moving to New Mexico.

    7 – Drug Abuse

    Reason number 7 for not moving to New Mexico: drug abuse.

    While it’s comforting to think Breaking Bad was a fictional show that could’ve never happened in real life… truth is scarier than fiction, and the truth is this:

    New Mexico ranks as the number one state for drug use in the US.

    This contributes to New Mexico’s 2nd place ranking for percentage of teenage drug users, 3rd place ranking for percentage of teenagers who were offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on school property, and 2nd place ranking for the percentage of adults with unmet drug treatment needs.

    It’s sad to say this isn’t just a New Mexico problem, it’s a US problem… but New Mexico is having the hardest time with it right now, which could be a good reason not to move to New Mexico.

    6 – Worst Public Education

    Reason number 6 – The Worst Public Education

    If my own experience in a public high school serves me well, I know there are 50 states.

    And if New Mexico ranks 50th on the list of pre-k through 12th grade education, that would put it at 50th of 50 or, last place.

    Its also ranked in one study as the 10th worst state for teachers.

    So, how did it get so bad? It’s hard to point the finger at any one thing. Instead, it’s a combination of how rural the state is, the high poverty, and the overall poor economy which hurts per pupil spending. The state has lately been trying to reverse this trend, but it could be a while before they figure it out.

    For families looking where to move with their kids, New Mexico’s having the worst public education system might be the reason not to move.

    4 – High Poverty Rate
    Reason number 4: The High Poverty Rate

    New Mexico frequently has one of the top poverty rates in the country, which is the ratio of the number of people (in a given age group) whose income falls below the poverty line. From the most recent Census, the only states with a higher poverty rate were Louisiana and Mississippi.

    New Mexico’s overall rate is 18.4%, while the national poverty rate is just 12.8%. Now you can see why even an average cost of owning a car can become a huge problem in a state like New Mexico!

    Unfortunately, things don’t get better as you get older in New Mexico, as the state also ranks among the worst in the nation for poverty among people age 65 and older.

    If you want to be surrounded by people who are a bit better off, you might not want to move to New Mexico.

    3 – Low Paying Jobs
    Reason number 3: Low Paying Jobs

    It may not come as a surprise that a state with such high poverty is also known as having some of the lowest paying jobs.

    As far as the average hourly wage goes, New Mexicans earn $23.87, ranking them below average when all occupations are taken into account.
    In terms of mean household income, New Mexico ranks 47th in the country.

    This could be a chicken or the egg debate here, but it’s tough to see the vicious cycle of bad education and low literacy rates, and then low wages which could make it difficult to invest back into the system.

    For many people looking where to move to, the prospect of not having a well-paying job could be reason alone not to move to New Mexico.

    2 – Bad Economic Shape
    Reason number two: Bad Economic Shape

    A recent ranking has New Mexico listed as 44th in terms of their economy. That comes with a 0.0% job growth, a return of 83 cents for every $1k of FDP (nationally it’s closer to $7.65), and a labor rate participation labor force of 56.7 percent, or the fifth lowest in the country.

    So if you were looking for the Land of Enchantment to be the land of business opportunities, you’d better keep looking because the state is sadly in rough shape.

    But what’s the biggest reason that could be keeping people from moving to New Mexico? Is it the radiation, or something else?

    1 – High Violent Crime Rate

    The number one reason to not move to New Mexico: its High Violent Crime Rate

    As much as Breaking Bad may have been about drugs, it was also about violence…

    Violent crime fell from 8.2 incidents per 1,000 people to 7.8—but that still gives New Mexico the second-highest violent crime rate in the US, behind Alaska with 8.4 incidents per 1,000.

    Property crime rates, though declining, are still high, with 28.4 per 1,000 people, against a national average of 19.6

    As a prospective homeowner looking to live in New Mexico, those aren’t the numbers you want to see when you think about keeping your family safe.

    2. “…what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

  2. A link to the approved initiative for circulation:

    https://sdsos.gov/elections-voting/upcoming-elections/assets/2024%20BQ/2024IMApprovedPetitiontoCirculateIMSchweichLegalizeRecMarijuana.pdf

    I have intimate knowledge of the effects of cannabis, negative and positive. We cannot continue allowing opioids and alcohol to be legal while a preferred demonstrably safter alternative is held back from the market through disinformation and misuse of our legal apparatuses.

    The arguments against cannabis, in every case I’ve reviewed, rely on compounding circumstances and other factors the neglect that cannabis stays in the system 30 days. Meth and Cocaine leave the system quickly, and are rarely implicated as the proximate cause of psychotic episodes now being incorrectly attributed to cannabis. Even poor diet has greater negative consequences than cannabis.

    In reality, alcohol and meth are the most pressing degenerative cognitive inhibitors available and both can be obtained legally by federal law. I can’t think of another more clear example of how broken and degenerate our system has become than the prohibition of cannabis.

  3. Marijuana…then methamphetamines. Funny thing is all of those marijuana smokers are coming down with lung related issues and cancers….what’s next, “Marijuana that’s good for your ‘T’ zone”?

    1. Respiratory issues are correlated with smoking? Oh no, better throw people in jail for it, eh? I mean, IF ONLY they made it in an edible form, then that fact would be completely invalidated, wouldn’t it?

    2. The majority of studies done on this issue show no connection between smoking MJ and lung cancer. The few that did find a connection only showed a very small percentage increase in the possibility of MJ use causing lung cancer. Say what you wanna say, but the facts dont line up with your statement.

      1. Really! Sounds like Stoner science. Why not claim smoking weed cured cancer as many did during their campaign to legalize?

        Sign the petition to repeal, donate, volunteer and vote to get this garbage out of South Dakota.

        1. Not my claim. It’s simply what the actual facts say. But don’t let those get in your way. Hopefully you have the same viewpoint on alcohol because that is far more destructive individually and societally.

  4. It would be cheaper for the state to encourage recreational marijuana users to move to New Mexico since it has from what was posted above worked so well for that state. They can go live with Lar.

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