Finally, another player in the petition-sphere!
New Approach South Dakota plans to start circulating its medical marijuana initiative petition next week. They join petitioner John Dale, who since spring has been circulating a separate initiative petition seeking a vote on wholesale legalization of cannabis, and SD Voice (that’s me!), which since February has been circulating a petition to restore our petition laws to the cleaner, less bureaucratic and burdensome form they were in before the Legislature declared war on our right to vote on the laws under which we live.
I have never used marijuana, either medically or recreationally. I am unlikely to ever avail myself of the liberty John Dale’s initiative would grant us. I am hopeful I will never need to avail myself of the liberty New Approach’s initiative would grant doctors and their certified, registered patients. I nonetheless support their effort to allow South Dakotans to decide how much cannabis, if any, and for what purposes, they want the law to allow South Dakotans to use.
SD Voice’s initiative petition would restore and protect the rights John Dale and New Approach are exercising right now, as well as the rights of every citizen who might want to have a say on state laws. John Dale is circulating SD Voice’s petition alongside his own. I hope New Approach will recognize its shared interest in protecting petition rights and circulate the SD Voice petition alongside theirs as well.
Fiscal Note: The Legislative Research Council estimates legalizing medical marijuana will cost the state $677,309 to start but that ongoing costs will be covered by revenue raised from patient and vendor registration fees.
South Dakota is a human and cultural museum. The population majority values change as much as an athlete values a hamstring pull. That’s not a bad thing, at all. America needs a few museums like SD; so it’s good for you to cling to the past. Some place has to do it.
What isn’t needed is legal or medical marijuana in South Dakota. Too big a change, all at once. You can’t do that to the old and unwavering people like grudznick. Booze heads like him would literally blow a gasket.
Do the right thing and get a petition going to decriminalize cannabis. The state is 44th in drug use. 50th in addiction rates but first in drug arrests. Whaaaa? Human rights violations, much?
*If you’re discovered with a small amount of marijuana, you receive a ticket (payable by mail) for a hundred bucks. Second offense, two hundred bucks. No piss test. No mention on your permanent record.
Better to just wait for Minnesota to legalize. Short drive. Plenty of other fun things to do over there, when you’re on a run. Don’t worry. Those balloons aren’t tracking you. It’s a scam to promote Raven Industries and increase Noem’s campaign coffers.
I am a little pissed, it is dawning on me, that recently, as i often do cite NIH ect scientific facts to you consumers, and my hero Director Nora Vokow—that know just like climate deniers, you brush off science, reasoning that addiction studies are “bought off” by big pharma and other conspiracies you here can jump up on.
This is applicable: Amanpour continued to press Conway on whether she would urge Trump to tone down his rhetoric following the recent spate of mass shootings, saying, “I am trying to have a grown up conversation with you.”
LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR
https://d14rmgtrwzf5a.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/1380-marijuana.pdf
Changes in marijuana policies across states legalizing marijuana for medical and/or recreational use suggest that marijuana is gaining greater acceptance in our society. Thus, it is particularly important for people to understand what is known about both the adverse health effects and the potential therapeutic benefits linked to marijuana.
Because marijuana impairs short-term memory and judgment and distorts perception, it can impair performance in school or at work and make it dangerous to drive. It also affects brain systems that are still maturing through young adulthood, so regular use by teens may have negative and long-lasting effects on their cognitive development, putting them at a competitive disadvantage and possibly interfering with their well-being in other ways. Also, contrary to popular belief, marijuana can be addictive, and its use during adolescence may make other forms of problem use or addiction more likely.
I am shocked at SD’s laws. No wonder the state is having issues with bringing people to the state to work. Apparently a shake up of the people in office is needed, if they refuse to vote by what their constituents want. (IE Noem with the veto of the cbd laws, even though it went through both chambers.) Where do I need to sign, for the signatures needed to get it on the ballot?
There are many things not appropriate for immature brains. Probably the age for most of them ought to be 25. It’s easy for me to say that now. When I was in college I thought 21 was outrageous!
But seriously, I believe it’s around age 25 that the brain has completed growth and organization.
KG, if you want to sign, watch for petitioners on the street. Also watch for petitioners at the big fairs coming up.
Thank you Cory. I may hit the big fairs specifically for that.
Porter, total decriminalization is the goal of John Dale’s petition.
If a doctor says the best remedy for what ails a patient is cannabis, who is the government to stand in the way? Let’s have South Dakotans decide who they trust to make medical decisions, doctors or Kristi Noem.
KG, if you do see petitioners, be sure to sign the People Power Petition as well. That’s my petition to make sure that, just in case this year’s ballot measures don’t pass, you will have a fair chance of getting new measures on the ballot in future elections.
Cory. Does Dale’s petition include legalization of marijuana, along with decriminalization?
In politics perception is reality and the perception is that medical marijuana is just a step towards full legalization (with pot stores on main streets). It sounds worse than it is but that’s the talking point SD Republicans hammer home, every cycle.
We have had a petition circulating for months now for FULL LEGALIZATION. My wife, daughters, and I put it together.
On our fiscal note, LRC concludes that our initiative saves the state $3,100,000 annually in jail and prison costs. Our fiscal note doesn’t state it specifically, but we assume this is annually since it is based on 2018 data.
We reached out to NASD when our petition was approved, but my wife’s FaceBook has been banned from the NASD page, and the folks driving the NASD bus never returned any of our messages or spoke to our questions regarding FULL LEGALIZATION of cannabis.
It is FULL LEGALIZATION. No hidden felonies, no minor access, and no barriers to growing it yourself.
That said, raise your hand if you think the legislature will not overturn or bastardize any initiative legalizing or decriminalizing.
My thought is – if the legislature is just going to overturn an initiative, why not make it a good one?
You can read the full text of our FULL LEGALIZATION campaign here: https://PlainsTribune.com/cc4l
My hope is that this post does not get banned. This issue is just too important.
If you would like to support full legalization of cannabis in South Dakota and make a real statement by getting FULL LEGALIZATION on the ballot, text keyword REEFER to (605) 309-7007 – I created the software and database for this application, so it does not have the same privacy issues as a FaceBook group.
Thank you to all the folks who purchased a shirt from me so far. This is how we’re funding our initiative.
Thank you for spreading the word and for subscribing to our list.
We have far surpassed our signature total from last time, and look forward to having your support.
Sincerely,
John Dale, MS MIS
Cannabis Consumers for Liberty
Spearfish, SD 57783
Mr. Dale. If your petition fails, please consider a petition next cycle for decriminalization, only. It’s not been attempted. Maybe just maybe the sentiment has softened enough to stop making SD the number one state for drug arrests and the 44th state for drug use.
Porter Lansing – Be sure to text keyword REEFER to (605) 309-7007
It’s a privacy certified service, and our initiative is a simple, pure statement of what Cannabis advocates want anyway.
There are a lot of other groups out there willing to do half measures, but only one brave enough to go full legalization.
https://PlainsTribune.com/cc4l
Mr. Dale. Many before you have been brave enough. I’m suggesting you become smart enough.
Porter Lansing – what is required right now is bravery, humility, and hard work. The time to be smart was last Winter when we were getting our initiative approved.
Be sure to text keyword REEFER to (605) 309-7007
Also, make sure you read our website (I updated it today).
https://PlainsTribune.com/cc4l
In terms of “smart” – for me this is a win-win-win-win.
Outcome 1 – NASD does not make the ballot. Why didn’t NASD start circulating the CC4L legalization petition when it had been approved for months?
Outcome 2 – NASD makes the ballot, initiative does not pass. Why didn’t NASD circulate the CC4L petition that the rank and file really want? FULL LEGALIZATION.
Outcome 3 – NASD makes the ballot, initiative passes, legislature overturns it. Why didn’t NASD circulate the CC4L petition? If we were going to go through all this effort just to have it overturned, why didn’t we make it FULL LEGALIZATION?
Outcome 4 – NASD gets their initiative on the ballot, it passes, and the legislature leaves it alone. Great! Now, let’s take a more serious look at the CC4L initiative, which is what rank-and-file cannabis advocates really want, anyway.
NASD is under tremendous pressure and has put themselves here through obstinance, territorialism, and selfishness. I do not envy their position, which seems to be lose-lose-lose-lose (even if the initiative survives the legislature, it’s not really what rank-and-file cannabis advocates really want).
Regardless of the outcome, we will continue to work on FULL LEGALIZATION until we have achieved that goal.
Be sure to text keyword REEFER to (605) 309-7007
There are two primary motives for this issue:
– There are those who want adults in SD to have the choice whether or not to purchase marijuana.
– My motive is to stop people from going to jail, paying outrageous fines and lawyer fees, and probably ruining their job choices. At that point, many see no alternative but to move to another state.
Ps … Mr. Dale. I don’t need to access or approve your website. I don’t need to text you. I don’t live in South Dakota, any more.
Porter Lansing – be sure to reach-out to anyone still in SD you know (registered voters are best, but not required) supporting FULL LEGALIZATION and have them text keyword REEFER to (605) 309-7007
Yes, I will.