Opponents of recreational marijuana are applauding the defeat of Initiated Measure 29.
South Dakota voters shut down the measure with 44% in favor and 56% against.
Rhonda Milstead is the Executive Director of Protecting South Dakota Kids. She said she is proud of the South Dakota public.
“We are very grateful for what happened. That vote, I think, that people just are becoming more awake to what the harms of marijuana are. And the fact that Florida, North Dakota, and us all defeated those ballot measures, this has come out of the dark. I hope it will be encouraging to other states that will try, and just turn their states around,” said Milstead.
The group backing the bill has not returned calls for comment.
Milstead said the Sioux Falls professional community needs to speak out.
“If we could get in Sioux Falls, the school system, the medical communities, to step up and talk about the harms that marijuana does, not only to our children, but to adults. I think that we just need to wake people up totally. The fact that we had 50 some percent of the vote was amazing. But, I think that we could get 80 percent of the vote if people really knew the truth about marijuana. And we need those parts of our community to speak out on it,” said Milstead.
South Dakota remains one of 26 states to not allow recreational marijuana. The vote does not impact the state’s medical marijuana program.
