Governor Kristi Noem comes out against marijuana related ballot measures

Pat Powers

In a radio interview with Performance Radio out of Huron yesterday, Governor Kristi Noem came out advocating against the two marijuana related ballot measures that were submitted to the Secretary of State this week:

Marijuana reform groups submitted petitions containing over 80,000 signatures to the South Dakota Secretary of State’s Office this week (Nov. 4), hoping to qualify two separate ballot initiatives for next year’s election.

And..

“…it is always the gateway drug to getting people more addicted, getting into stronger drugs, then they end up committing crimes, and it just opens the door to bad habits and behaviors that aren’t going to be beneficial.” (Gov Kristi Noem, Transcribed)

Noem says recreational marijuana is unregulated and is dangerous for our next generation.

Read and listen to the entire story here.

37 thoughts on “Governor Kristi Noem comes out against marijuana related ballot measures”

  1. This is the one issue I disagree with her on. I think there’s a lot of us. Sure marijuana isn’t good for you. Neither is bacon.

    1. I don’t think I’ve seen people crashing into school buses who are impaired after eating crispy bacon.

    2. There’s a big difference between the pork industry and the pot industry. I support the former, oppose the latter.

  2. I am hopeful that South Dakotans will steer clear of legalizing another substance that further enables an amoral, self-indulgent lifestyle. Recreation and enjoyment of life need not include escape from reality by means of a psychotropic substance. Just take a hard objective look at what marijuana legalization has wrought in cities and states not so removed from us.
    Your life, liberty and pursuit of happiness need not come from a substance yielding short term chemically-induced escape which inevitably leads to repetition until it consumes you.

    1. Who are you to say where another person’s pursuit of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness should come from? The essence of that statement is personal choice – not someone choosing for you. Psychotropic medication, including mushrooms, are being studied to treat PTSD. Moreover, FDA regulated controlled substances are already on the market, which include psychotropic medication. If empirical evidence supports its efficacy, would your argument still apply? Again – if your argument holds true than alcohol and tobacco would likewise be a “short term chemically-induced escape” – that logic fails.

      “Ok, boomer”

        2. The fact that you take issue with that, instead of its substance, is the reason for the phrase in the first place.

          1. Isn’t that the truth, Realist.

            “How dare you! You know what I did for this country.”
            … Ok, boomer.

      2. It impacts my life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness when the users expect my tax dollars to pay for their rehab. I have more pressing places for my money to go.

        I am fine with medicinal use, provided a doctor prescribes it for an actual medical/psychological issue.

        I don’t think people need another way to escape reality and flee responsibility.

      3. All “Boomering” aside, is personal choice the only consideration here? Our unalienable rights, given us by God and reaffirmed in our Constitution, include freedom of speech. But does that extend to yelling FIRE in a crowded theatre?
        In your world would it then be perfectly acceptable to grow opium poppies, manufacture heroin and make it available to all? After all, that’s “personal choice,” is it not?
        By the way, medical cannabis is not the issue here, so let’s not play the sympathy card.
        Alcohol is indeed a psychotropic substance and it is regulated insofar as an abuser is subject to arrest and its effects can be readily determined by a field test and observation. Alcohol producers are permitted and regulated. Not so with marijuana, particularly in light of the weaponized marijuana that has been noted in recent years..
        Tobacco, while it is known to have carcinogenic effects, does not produce a “high,” or foster poor judgment.
        Sorry, but it is your logic that fails.

        1. What is the argument against regulating marijuana like booze and tobacco? By the way I can tell you’ve never smoked a cigarette or had a dip because you’d know that first one will put your head in the clouds, and possibly your lunch in your lap.

          1. The whole legalization aspect is uncontrollable. The marijuana industry has numerous chronic issues and guess who pays? The taxpayers, families, neighbors, businesses and communities. Those few states that made this mistake will be paying for it for a longtime.

        2. I literally laughed out loud at “weaponized marijuana”. Wow – this harkens back to the “Just Say No” campaign and the “War on Drugs”. Hence the boomer comment – this is a generational difference with the Government “weaponizing” this issue long ago. Just like alcohol is regulated on different types – beer, wine, hard liquor and each has sub-categories 15 proof, 30 proof, 3.2%, 90 proof – so like marijuana has different levels.

          No – I will never put heroine in the same category as marijuana. They aren’t even comparable. Do you see people overdosing on marijuana? No.

          Also – if you’ve never smoked a cigarrette, taken a dip, smoked a cigar, hookah – and you have not gotten lightheaded or feel its effects instantly – you’re doing something wrong.

          1. Heroin comes from plants…why you think that plant is bad and the marijuana plant is not bad….all these marijuana supporters are such hypocrites

      1. Tara when the state budget goes in the red dealing with the mess that will result when all the costs are factored are you willing to personally make up the difference financially? Expenses to the state taxpayers and especially local governments will far exceed tax revenue from weed.

  3. Noem says she’s never met anyone who’s gotten smarter after using pot. For one, that’s anecdotal evidence. Two, how would she even know? Over 50% of american adults have tried it and they’re not walking around with their tongues hanging out, at least as I can tell. Has Kristi ever heard of Carl Sagan, Elon Musk, Michael Phelps, Tom Brokaw, Steve Jobs, Bill Gates?

    2. Steve Jobs was a horrible father and the marijuana that is supposed to cure everything including cancer sure didn’t save him.

      There are potheads that smoke weed believing they will remain cancer free as a result.

  4. I’m curious, has Jackley said anything about these measures? I still wish he’d won the primary.

  5. Someone needs to convince her that growing pot and hemp provides good habitat for raising and hunting pheasants. They would get her to support pot and hemp because increasing hunting habitat seems to be the only thing she is interested in.

  6. Alcohol is, always has been, and always will be the gateway drug. It’s hundreds of times more dangerous than marijuana.

  7. Looks like we are going to get a vote on cannabis in 2020. It will be interesting to see how the white, non college degree, blue collar Trump voters, who overwhelmingly use or at the very least are ok with cannabis (shocking right?!), will swing things this time, as Trump is getting them to turn out in far greater numbers than previous times this was on the ballot, it may have an interesting side effect here in SD.

  9. Drug Zombies, Tent Cities, Medieval Diseases Bringing The Battle for Los Angeles to South Dakota.

    This joins “Seattle is Dying” and “Chronic State” as videos to watch with the ballot measures which start commercializing the drug culture in South Dakota.

  10. Government will never solve the drug problem. The more they spend the bigger the problem becomes. It has been a total disaster. It starts with the Individual.

    1. You should move to California and focus on fixing their mess with the drugs they legalized before you try to legalize them here in South Dakota.

      1. We have an critical and rising drug problem right here in SD. Government will never save the day. It starts with the individual and their family. There are more than enough resources, faith based institutions, non-profits and places for people to get help from. The higher power seems to work great for many people. I believe anybody can quit if they want. It just takes will power and discipline. To conquer any vice takes hard work. I would never rely on government to do it for you. Drugs don’t kill people, people kill themselves abusing them. Prohibition only feeds the drug cartels.

  13. Here in Spearfish it’s never hard to find a bag of weed but it all comes from Colorado and Montana because nothing grown locally is worth smoking.

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