There are indications out there this week that in addition to a ballot measure that’s already been submitted for an Attorney General’s opinion to legalize marijuana for sale in South Dakota, two more ballot measures to legalize pot are also being prepared for the ballot process.
In a post this week on Facebook from the group that failed in their efforts to place measures on the 2018 ballot the legalization of killing grandma, as well as smoking pot, it appears that the “New Approach South Dakota” group is preparing to go back and collect signatures again for not just one, but two ballot measures to legalize dope:
At some point they’ll be coming around to collect your name and personal information on a petition… so make sure that you know exactly what you’re signing, and that the circulator is following state law.
I had believed that the hemp plant we were all talking about was C. Ruderalis, a different species from C. Sativa.
But then a comm director from the DOA says it’s all Sativa, and the only difference is how it’s grown.
Or is it a subspecies? There was talk of cross-pollination.
We need more specifics. Just what are they growing?
How about this. Bring one clean bill that does nothing but allow cannibis oil for children, have it treated like a narcotic by law, prescribed by a doctor, availably only thru a regular pharmacy, and I think people would support it. But that isn’t the real reason any of these petitions are being circulated, is it?
While that is an absolutely great idea, the issue is that any marijuana product containing THC cannot be dispensed by a pharmacy because it federally illegal. What needs to happen is that the Feds need to make a move here. Either enforce the laws that are currently on the books, or remove marijuana from Schedule 1 and lets the states have control over what happens. In that scenario, I believe SD could do exactly what you are proposing.
Agree with that Springer. It could a very simple process but they have other motives.. and meanwhile everyone in support of this type of bill are getting all worked up.
This republican will be signing. We don’t need the govt telling us what to do about a plant that was legal when this country was formed and was only criminalized because of false propaganda.
This is a Republican who will be voting no. Mary Jane is not a harmless drug; check out the Hillsdale College newsletter, “Imprimus”, January 2019 issue: there is a lot of good information there.
If it does truly help some people medicinally, treat it like a prescription drug.
If people just want it to get high, how many more ways to people need to get stupid and unproductive?
I bet this stupid and unproductive smoker does more and makes more money than you. Why do you get to choose what we put in our bodies and why do you support it with such false propaganda?
Pot has nothing to do with making people stupid and unproductive. They were that way before they smoked pot.
That opinion piece tries to create causation where at best there may be correlation. It also goes without saying that it comes from a religious and conservative college so there’s going to be bias.
Check out Brigham Young University who wins “Stone Cold Sober” award every year…..Provo Utah. Well the most conservative state in the nation just legalized medical pot…….Go Mormons, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where coffee tea, tobacco and alcohol are outlawed.
Legalizing & Commercializing Marijuana will be a fiscal boat anchor for South Dakota. The latest independent study out of Colorado shows that for every $1.00 in pot related sales tax revenue it costs the state of Colorado $4.50 in support services. California tax revenue from pot sales has been a major disappointment with a thriving black market and massive environmental damage from illegal grows on public lands in NorCal. Oregon has had major regulation issues.
A really good documentary “Chronic State” which shows the negative social and economic costs in states that legalized especially Colorado is posted at https://www.facebook.com/learnaboutSAMMn/ along with other videos. SAMMn.org website for the latest data.
Miranda, if your preposterous statistic about the cost of support services were true — and it’s demonstrably not — why wouldn’t Colorado move to repeal legal weed and reinstate criminal prohibition? All it takes is a simple ballot measure. And everyone knows that potheads don’t vote, so it would be a shoe in to win. Why hasn’t this happened?
That is a great question. Those in the Marijuana industry are using the same exact playbook as Big Tobacco. They are using push polls, manipulating data, donations to lawmakers and using every tool in the book. Pueblo County in Colorado tried to repeal legalization but were heavily outspent by the Drug Policy Alliance and others in the Marijuana industry.
When you read the Forbes Magazine articles such as “These States Are Most Likely To Legalize Marijuana in 2019” by Tom Angell check out the background of the authors. Tom Angell is one of the PR people for the Marijuana industry. It is all a form of marketing or one could say psychological warfare and I see it as sending 3 messages.
#1 Conditioning the general public to believe the battle to legalize is over despite any objections they may have.
#2 Intimidate our lawmakers provoking them to make premature policy decisions when there are other options available rather than falling for this public policy con job.
#3 Demoralize the opposition
10 states and Canada have chosen to legalize recreational Marijuana not 49 out of 50, not 25 out of 50 but 10 so far. Keep in mind how much money is at stake for those investors to legalize more states and the industry will do everything to protect their public image in those first states they helped outspend the opposition to legalize. Otherwise their momentum will stop and a great deal of money will be lost. They will push hard to legalize knowing it will be very difficult for those states to repeal. Those few in the MJ industry make a lot of money and we pay the social and economic costs.
Dr. Karen Randall is an Emergency Medicine Physician in Pueblo, Colorado and here is one video talking about costs from legalization. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfIaJ1jO2ms
Dr. Randall mentioned Pueblo Public schools latest absenteeism rate is 38%.
Correction: Dr. Randall states that Pueblo Public Schools presently has a 38% chronic absenteeism rate.
The other side driving all of this to either protect their drug of choice in Colorado and other states or those pushing to legalize are those few with addiction issues with Marijuana. It was on full display at the 1st press conference for SAMMn in press conference room at the Minnesota State Capitol on January 16th at 10:00am. http://sammn.org/news/ You can watch the video especially the angle from Alpha News.
We welcomed everyone including the Marijuana enthusiasts figuring everyone would be respectful and they would have their own press conference that afternoon at 1:00pm. When our fist speaker started the heckling began and it just got worse when a mother who lost her son to a drugged driver which included high THC levels was speaking. A few volunteers including myself politely asked these hecklers to stop what they were doing, be respectful and that we would never do this to their presser and it just got worse. I asked a short white guy with a cowboy hat again and he physically threatened me and in the video this mother stopped and asked him if he wanted to get up and speak. I was standing right next to him and here I am suggesting a pot smoker to ” just relax”. Not very good optics and said to him that this behavior does not help their cause. It just got worse with yelling and we were like the adults in the room. Rational vs irrational with the press corps shocked and getting frustrated. Tom Hauser the pollical reporter with “At Issue” KSTP was very frustrated and commented often how disrespectful the pro pot advocates were and that they hijacked the SAMMn press conference. My local long serving Representative was there and am glad he was not a guest speaker. I had a State Senator lined up to go and speak and am grateful she was not there. He said it was the wildest most disrespectful press conference he had ever been to. I look at it as the power that drug has over them. Is yelling, threatening, bullying with irrational behavior driving legalization vs a civil & respectful process based off of good data?
Demonstrably not? Demonstrate, please.
At least from my perspective New Approach South Dakota has historically had major credibility issues in regards to snake oil , golden goose fiscal claims and bringing forth recreational Marijuana ballot measures sold as medical Marijuana. All the side drama did not help either.
I have been at the Minnesota state capitol often since their session started January 7th and there is no way a recreational Marijuana bill will pass in 2019 with the Republicans having a majority in the senate and at least 3 DFL senators that will absolutely not vote for this addiction for profit business model that they know would be a major mistake for Minnesota.
A major developing challenge for those looking to legalize is all the emerging negative issues, data, news stories and residents speaking up in those legal states that are making all those pro-legalization claims invalid. No matter how much the Marijuana industry tries to whitewash it the truth is coming out.
Addiction for profit… are you of the opinion that we should ban alcohol, tobacco, state lotteries, casinos, cell phone games, soft drinks, coffee?
As soon as Big Tobacco controls the production and marketing of weed this will be passed. It is only a matter of time and money.
SAMMn Research Advisor: Ken Winters, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Oregon Research Institute (MN branch) & Adjunct Faculty, Dept. of Psychology, U of MN
Dr. Winters career focus has been in all types of addiction. I trust his credentials and ability to research the latest data with sources provided on SAMMn.org website.
My comment above regarding Dr. Winters credentials
If we are going to retain presumptive probation, then law enforcement might as well quit arresting anybody for drugs. Let people do whatever they want.
And don’t stop with lowering the compulsory education age to 16; drop it to 12 or 13. Once they are old enough to be left home alone let them skip school. Stop taking attendance; there is no need to notify parents if they don’t show up. That will take care of the high absenteeism reported elsewhere.