Early reports coming in are claiming significant numbers of petition signatures were collected on the Medical Marijuana ballot measure, as well as the measure which proposes to add pot to the South Dakota State Constitution:
South Dakota residents will likely get the chance to vote on two different marijuana initiatives during next year’s election.
On Monday, advocates submitted more than 50,000 signatures for a proposed constitutional ballot measure to legalize cannabis for adult use, which is being sponsored by a former federal prosecutor, and more than 30,000 signatures for a separate statutory initiative seeking to establish a medical marijuana program in the state.
The South Dakota secretary of state will now review the signatures. Constitutional initiatives require 33,921 valid signatures, while statutory measures need 16,961, so the reform campaigns collected significantly more than needed, bolstering the chances that they will qualify for the 2020 ballot even if a sizable portion end up getting thrown out.
Read the entire story here. Slightly more work friendly link here.
Now all we have to see is “how high” the rate of invalid signatures are.
Stay tuned.
What is very annoying is that the petitioners are showing up in places of businesses (both of my businesses) harassing my employees and my customers. Then they stand around in the parking lot harassing people as they walk by. I have booted them out of my places of business. And I also asked them where they are from and they are not from South Dakota!
I don’t mind the circulation of petitions, but I think it should be done by South Dakotans. And harassing customers and businesses is out of the question. I am very annoyed as you can tell. I booted them out once and they came back the next week.
By the way, Walmart is across the street and I watched them walk over to Walmart and harass people as they walked o of Walmart with their purchases. Come on!!
Well harrassing is getting the out of staters to come in and change South Dakota for the worse
Drug abusers are not known for following the law or think of anyone but themselves. Seattle, Denver, San Fran and downtown Minneapolis smells like skunk and urine and watch where you step because of feces. Public spaces and events smell like skunk or something died. Law enforcement with their hands being tied issue a ticket but the offenders most likely just throw them away. They harass people and sometimes attack and mug them.
If a drug abuser is attacking and mugging someone, I can guarantee they’re not abusing marijuana. I agree that I don’t like smelling pot when walking in downtown big cities. However, public events, especially outdoor concerts, have smelled like pot long, long before the legalization movement started.
Where have you been in a bubble? Alcohol is not the only drug that with being abused can lead to violence, impair judgment and ending in crimes committed. Pot can lead to it also. Psychosis can result in violence and unlike alcohol it can be unexpected. There are plenty of potheads that are violent domestic abusers too.
Ive been involved in law enforcement in some form for several years. I have never seen someone who is only using marijuana violent or committing a domestic assault. your statement is simply untrue. there might be marijuana use, however, when violence is involved, there is always some form of other drug being used as well. and 99% of the time, it is alcohol.
Being a rent a cop, security guard would hardly qualify nor does posting anonymously. Pot pushers lie all the time. If you are in a small town with one cop then you’re exposure will be very limited. Either you are a pot pusher falsely claiming to be in law enforcement or you have not researched this greater.
It’s none of those. But thanks for making ASSumptions.
Still voting Hell No! on both
Mentele went against her word from years ago and turned around and called in Big Tobacco 2.0 for help this time and they are going to drop some serious money into South Dakota’s cheap media market. Social Justice? Compassion? It’s all about the money. Vulnerable populations are just going to be used again.
The out-of-state name-callers have their dank fingerprints all over these papers. I bet you there are 40% bogus, unregistered, and made up names on the listings. Then, just #VNOE
Jordan mason is a political mercenary…..
was that Jordan in the video carrying in the ballot boxes?
I’m curious who is paying Brendan Johnson to work on this?
So the Democrats are so busy with ballot issues that they can’t run an organization. Vote no on both these liberal initiatives
Sorry Lee but it doesn’t get any more conservative than individual liberty, limited government, and personal responsibility.
And it doesn’t get any more liberal than thinking you know better than a person’s doctor when it comes to what medicine is best.
Especially those rent-a-docs prescribing over Skype. “Stubbed toe? You need a marijuana card.”
$25.00 open 24 hours come on in and get you’re medical marijuana script. Bring a friend and get a discount.
You don’t trust our South Dakota medical professionals? I thought we had the best and brightest?
Regardless of ones view, is there no backlash against the use of the Constitution as a place which should be legislation?
I think that measure is doomed to fail. South Dakota is not big on amending the constitution, especially for things like that.
You didn’t think they’d get the signatures either.
The idiot brigade handling it was incapable of doing it, and quickly on their way to failure. That was evident after the state fair, and I suspect why the deep pockets from out-of-State came in and took over.
If the legislature and governor could be trusted to carry out the will of the people, a constitutional amendment wouldn’t be necessary.
Unfortunately that’s not the case.
As I have said before, those gathering signatures often didn’t actually understand what they were promoting, and weren’t always up front about what they were asking people to sign.
vote NO!!
Little did Kristi know, when she vetoed the help bill, that she’d be providing clear justification for why proponents of these issues have no choice but to pursue constitutional amendments rather than initiated measures.
Guaranteed, our legislature would gut any successful marijuana legalization measures, medical or otherwise — in essence vetoing the will of the people.
It has to be an amendment.
Your realize we are a republic don’t you? Were you not paying attention in class or is it the dope talking? (Yes a double entendre)