Three key figures of Rapid City politics came out to voice their opposition to IM29. That measure, in front of voters this election, could legalize marijuana for recreational use in South Dakota.
Pennington County Sheriff Brian Mueller, Rapid City Mayor Jason Salamun, and RCPD Chief Don Hedrick hosted a press conference to offer their take on efforts to legalize cannabis.
According to the sheriff, legalized cannabis is a bigger risk than its worth.
“I work closely with leaders in our community, like the mayor like the chief of police, with the top priority of keeping our community safe," Mueller said. "I do not believe legalizing marijuana helps us with that priority. I’m most worried about the youth in our community, and the impact that normalizing recreational marijuana will have on them and their futures.”
However, all three declined to comment when asked about the fairness of the state’s ingestion law.
South Dakota is the only state in the country with a felony level ingestion law. That means under the current system, a person could theoretically face a felony level charge for a single cannabis gummy.
On the other hand, advocates say a regulated, legalized marijuana market would take away the “black market” surrounding cannabis, in turn making exposure to more serious drugs less likely while creating a new tax income stream for the state.
Cannabis remains a schedule 1 substance to the federal government, making it comparable to heroin in the eyes of the justice system and a schedule above fentanyl and methamphetamine.
That concerns Mayor Salamun, who said their job is to enforce the law as written.
“There’s still federal law, so you still have to deal with that as well," Salamun said. "We’re working this out state-by-state when there’s no consistency at the federal level, and that obviously will impact things as well. Their jobs, my job as well, is to enforce the law. We don’t do the court system. Anything beyond that we might have opinions.”
Early voting is open in South Dakota, and election day is November 5.