Poll: South Dakotans narrowly favor legal marijuana in the state

South Dakotans are split on whether cannabis should be legal for adult consumption.

But those who favor repealing the state’s strict marijuana laws in the upcoming election have a slight advantage.

That’s according to results of a recent poll conducted in partnership between Argus Leader Media and KELO-TV in which more than 600 likely voters from across the state were reached via telephone from Oct. 19 to Oct. 21 and questioned about their positions on everything from the presidential race between Donald Trump and Joe Biden to the two marijuana-related ballot measures they’ll see on their ballots.

Of all topics included in the poll, done by Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, none had a greater margin of support than Initiated Measure 26, which would legalize medical marijuana for South Dakotans with debilitating medical conditions certified by a doctor. Specifically, 74% of respondents said they intend to vote in favor of legalizing medical marijuana.

Legalizing recreational marijuana for adults 21 years old or older through a constitutional amendment also earned a majority level of support in the poll, but nowhere near that of medical marijuana. [Read more at Argus Leader]