From the Pierre Capitol Journal, Judge John Brown had some harsh words for Colorado and the position that their legalization of drugs (still illegal at the federal level) have put neighboring states in as they deal with the aftermath:
When Keith Norman Thompson, 65, flew into Pierre from Denver at 7 a.m., Sept. 14, 2016, police on duty found a suspicious substance in his bag. It turned out to be marijuana “butter,” a way of enhancing the amount and effect of THC from the drug. Thompson also had “raw” pot leaves and a pipe, police said. Thompson admitted it was there and that he did not remember it was in his bag.
Normally, possession or ingestion of pot is a misdemeanor in South Dakota, but in the “butter” form, it can be a felony.
and…
However, he did grant him a suspended imposition of sentence and three years of supervised probation in Colorado, if the details worked out.
But Brown also said that he wasn’t happy with the effects of Colorado legalizing marijuana.
“Colorado has done a disservice to other states surrounding them and a disservice to their citizens, too, in exposing them to the very situation you find yourself in,” Brown said in stern tones, saying he resented that Colorado’s legalization of what are illegal drugs in most other states such as South Dakota “would put all of us in that awkward situation.”
A good reason for South Dakota not to join the “bad neighbor” club of states in allowing legalized pot.
As my father always said …they call it DOPE for a reason!
So much for personal responsibility and federalism. Sounds like Judge Brown is a raging liberal.
Actually, John, a former Harding County legislator, was and is a pretty reliably conservative guy.
Maybe he used to be but nothing in his most recent whining about this issue would indicate that.
Colorado’s law is working wonderfully for them and the vast majority of Colorado policy makers (from both parties) support it.
So much for the laboratories of democracy. Both you and Brown seem to welcome the oversight of the federal government on this issue. Hardly a conservative position.