2012 legislative session adjourns
South Dakota's 2012 legislative session began and ended without any discussion on the state's current outright prohibition on marijuana. While their colleagues across the country continue to help the seriously ill safely and without penalty access medical marijuana, South Dakota lawmakers failed to even introduce a medical marijuana bill. Seventeen states, and the District of Columbia, recognize that jailing patients is not good policy. Help protect patients in South Dakota — ask your legislators to introduce medical marijuana next session.
South Dakota does not just criminalize medical marijuana patients, but all marijuana users; however, that has not always been the case. South Dakota is the only state to decriminalize, and then recriminalize, marijuana possession. In the late 1970s, the South Dakota Legislature passed a marijuana decriminalization law only to see the new legislature immediately repeal that law when they were sworn in a couple months later. Ask your state legislators to once again decriminalize marijuana possession by introducing legislation that will replace current criminal penalties for possession of up to an ounce of marijuana with a more sensible civil violation.
Can medical marijuana help you?
In order to pass medical marijuana legislation, we need to hear from patients who could benefit (or are already benefiting) from medical marijuana. If you are a patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, or if you know somebody who might benefit from medical marijuana, please contact MPP at state@mpp.org to find out how you can help. Please include your nine-digit zip code or your address, so we can figure out who your state legislators are.
Additionally, if you are a medical professional, law enforcement officer, or a member of the clergy, your help could be particularly valuable. If you would like to volunteer to help with this effort, please email state@mpp.org.
Learn about South Dakota's marijuana laws
In 2007, there were 1,456 arrests for marijuana possession in South Dakota and 130 arrests for marijuana sales. These marijuana arrests accounted for 73 percent of all drug arrests in South Dakota that year. Possession of just a small amount of marijuana in the state carries a potential penalty of a year in jail and a $1,000 fine! You can learn more about South Dakota's marijuana penalties and enforcement by reading this report by Jon Gettman, Ph.D.
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