PIERRE — South Dakota’s Legislature still isn’t ready to end the state’s marijuana prohibition, but cannabis reform advocates are heading home from the Capitol with a few wins.
House Republicans Thursday stood in the way of giving Senate Bill 3, which would have legalized commercial sales and private possession of marijuana for adults 21 and over, a second chance at passage. And that had cannabis industry lobbyists raising the white flag on getting pot legalized through the legislative process this year.
However, the House also rejected a separate proposal that would have walked back portions of South Dakota’s new medical marijuana law, while also OK’ing a measure that allows low level marijuana convictions to be removed from some people’s background check.
More:Sioux Falls could change liquor license distribution process to lottery, like medical marijuana
“It’s disappointing that the House of Representatives clearly didn’t represent the people on SB3 but it was a good result on a few of the cannabis bills,” said Ned Horsted, the executive director of the Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota. “On Senate Bill 150, patients will remain protected and expungement for small marijuana crimes I think is a win.”
Senate Bill 151, which now heads to the governor’s desk, states that misdemeanor marijuana convictions automatically come off someone’s criminal background check after five years if they’ve satisfied their sentencing.
SB150, rejected by the House, sought to…
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PIERRE — South Dakota’s Legislature still isn’t ready to end the state’s marijuana prohibition, but cannabis reform advocates are heading home from the Capitol with a few wins.
House Republicans Thursday stood in the way of giving Senate Bill 3, which would have legalized commercial sales and private possession of marijuana for adults 21 and over, a second chance at passage. And that had cannabis industry lobbyists raising the white flag on getting pot legalized through the legislative process this year.
However, the House also rejected a separate proposal that would have walked back portions of South Dakota’s new medical marijuana law, while also OK’ing a measure that allows low level marijuana convictions to be removed from some people’s background check.
More:Sioux Falls could change liquor license distribution process to lottery, like medical marijuana
“It’s disappointing that the House of Representatives clearly didn’t represent the people on SB3 but it was a good result on a few of the cannabis bills,” said Ned Horsted, the executive director of the Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota. “On Senate Bill 150, patients will remain protected and expungement for small marijuana crimes I think is a win.”
Senate Bill 151, which now heads to the governor’s desk, states that misdemeanor marijuana convictions automatically come off someone’s criminal background check after five years if they’ve satisfied their sentencing.
SB150, rejected by the House, sought to…
