South Dakota sees freight train of marijuana-related bills ahead of 2022 legislative session

If residents thought the weed wars of 2021 — a recreational marijuana measure and court overturning an adult use constitutional amendment — were behind them, they were wrong.

“I believe they represent the agreement of the study committee that certain changes need to be made to the medical marijuana program that I believe will help improve the program,” said Sen. David Wheeler, R-Huron, who spoke with Forum News Service on Monday, Jan. 3. “They are not meant to hinder access to medical marijuana.

Just over a year ago, South Dakota appeared to be the latest state to legalize recreational marijuana when a slim majority of voters approved a statewide ballot measure legalizing cannabis. But after a 4-1 Supreme Court decision released the day before Thanksgiving, the measure known as Amendment A was finally dead.

Even prior to the long-awaited November ruling, however, lawmakers had predicted an onslaught of marijuana-related legislation to hit the 2022 session — from foes and proponents alike.

That’s because many lawmakers wanted to take a crack at tinkering — or undoing significant provisions — of a medical marijuana program also approved by the voters in 2020 through a separate ballot measure, Initiated Measure 26. [Read more at The Dickenson Press]