Update: Senate Bill 95 was amended by members of the Senate Judiciary Committee so that it will only be excluded from the definition of marijuana once it is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration. This amendment essentially makes this bill moot.
Update: Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee passed SB 157 by a vote of 7 to 3 on February 14.
Two bills are pending in South Dakota that provide various protections for medical marijuana users in South Dakota. SB 95 and SB 157 do not establish a South Dakota program, but protect those individuals who are prescribed medical marijuana in another state.
SB 95 removes cannabidiol from schedule I and places it in schedule IV. Furthermore, it excludes cannabidiol entirely from the definition of marijuana.
SB 157 protects patients that possess marijuana while they have a valid medical card from another state. The measure “covers patients who have moved to Colorado… or another legal state and done their due diligence for being prescribed medical marijuana.”
Although neither bill is perfect, both are a step in the right direction and would provide protection to thousands of patients in South Dakota.
Enter your information below to contact your elected officials and urge them to protect patients’ access to medical marijuana and cannabidiol.
National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – Advocacy Campaigns
