South Dakota lawmakers say no to cannabis legalization, yes to some repeals of medical marijuana law

Anti-cannabis lawmakers at the state Capitol have thwarted momentum building toward legal marijuana in South Dakota.

And the same committee in the South Dakota Legislature that killed a proposal to legalize recreational pot use for adults Monday also advanced a separate measure that repeals portions of the medical marijuana law adopted by voters in 2020.

“The provisions that past in IM26 were just a backdoor way to recreational marijuana,” said Rep. David Anderson, R-Hudson.

Anderson was among House State Affairs Committee members who voted against legalizing recreational marijuana and in favor of some repeals in Initiated Measure 26, the ballot measure that legalized medical marijuana in South Dakota last year.

Senate Bill 150 aims to nix language in existing state law that right now allows individuals without certification from the state’s Department of Health who are arrested for small amounts of cannabis to claim what’s known as an “affirmative defense” in front of a judge.

In other words, marijuana possession charges can be dismissed by a court if a defendant can show they have conditions that qualify for them for a medical marijuana card. [Read more at Argus Leader]