Well, we should have seen this coming, a NEW drug war has emerged after right wingers killed IM 27 with a campaign littered with lies;
Lawmakers want to make it more difficult to expand the list of conditions that might qualify a citizen for a medical marijuana card.
Patients who want relief for conditions not explicitly listed in the law ought to ask their elected lawmaker to add the condition for them during the legislative session.
Yeah, that sounds convenient and legitimate! NOT! As I have told people in the past, all Medical Cannabis is, is aspirin that gets you high. It’s a pain reliever, sleep aid and relaxant. It can and should be prescribed for ANY ailment. Isn’t it funny how a group of mostly white male business owners with NO medical, chemistry or biology degrees seem to know so much about reproductive health and chronic pain disorders.
I mean, I knew they were big group of smart fellers (or was it fart smellers?) but they constantly amaze me with all of their genius medical advice and recommendations 🙁
UPDATE: I wanted to clarify something, I think that well over 90% of voters DID know what they were voting on, but there is always those stragglers that don’t research the ballot before they vote and make a decision in the ballot box without knowing the context. I do believe a small number of voters were confused. How do you go from polling 78% this summer to losing this fall? Before the opposition gained steam the only ads we were seeing were for vote YES, then suddenly every ad a month before the election were vote NO and vote YES, constantly, which added to the confusion. I was personally happy with the results.
Unless we are willing to make a concerted effort to close ALL packing plants in town, this really seemed like they were picking on Wholestone. I still think this ends up in court, but the biggest failure was our city council not acting on this in January or February. If we still had conditional use permitting, we could have required WF to follow a higher standard (especially when it comes to water and waste water). I’m a huge believer in the initiative and petition process, but only after all government solutions were exhausted, the city didn’t lift a finger and forced an expensive election that could have been avoided.
I knew the Rec MJ decision was going to be close, however it turned out, but it would be decisive. I can’t say that about the slaughterhouse vote. While I did vote ‘NO’ and fully agreed that if a developer or business follows the rules set in place when it comes to property and property rights they deserve to move forward. I also think there was a lot of games played along the way on both sides that would have made it hard to stop this development (including the inaction of the city council when it comes to zoning). Either way, this will still end up in court.
What I do scratch my head about is if the ballot language contributed to the confusing outcome? How is it that something can be polling 60-70% then fail on election day? Just look at polling for Medicare, Rec MJ and Noem, all polls were almost spot on (though Noem did do a lot better than expected).
Think about it. If someone tells you to vote ‘NO’ you would assume that means ‘NO’ to new slaughterhouses and a ‘YES’ vote means ‘YES’ to new slaughterhouses. Well guess what? It is vice versa.
I’m not even sure how you would clear this up, you would almost need to do an exit poll to see how people voted and how they felt. This is impossible at this point.
We may never know.
I did know who Kameron Nelson was, and that is why I voted for him. District 10 is the only place in the state where the magic happened (and District 15). I actually was let in on the ground game this summer of what Democratic District 10 candidates were doing to win that district, and they had a good game, the results don’t surprise me a bit. There was also a rumor swirling that John Mogen and Tom Sutton were personally recruited by Noem to be placeholders in District 10 so she could appoint someone if they won.
I live in an Oasis. Now where can I get some good black market weed? Asking for a friend 🙂
Speaking of the evil weed. I see the opposition’s game of ‘what about the children’ worked, and once again, Mayor TenHaken set a precedent, now influencing ballot measures and questions. I still have a glimmer of hope that peeps from the IM 27 campaign will file ethics and campaign rule complaints against those peddling lies about the measure.
When Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken attended a news conference and shared his concern about recreational marijuana on Oct. 26, it caught Melissa Mentele’s attention. She was sponsor of the successful 2020 ballot measure which legalized medical marijuana in the state. Mentele herself held a news conference on Tuesday in Sioux Falls; she wants to know if TenHaken broke state codified law, which says that the state or a state agency can’t spend public money to influence the success or failure of a ballot question.
Technically you could say he violated state law; he used a public facility funded by the taxpayers of Sioux Falls and Minnehaha County and he did it while he was on the clock. He also did not share FACTUAL information.
As for any 1st Amendment violations, I agree with TenHaken;
TenHaken sent KELOLAND News via text message: “Fortunately as an elected leader I don’t have to forfeit my First Amendment rights to say IM27 is terrible public policy and people should vote no.”
He is very much correct that elected officials don’t give up their 1st Amendment rights after taking office, but, this is NOT about constitutional or state law, this is about ethics.
As an elected official who may have to rule/vote on proposed law in the future, it is very unethical and conflicting to take a position on a ballot measure before it has been voted on. What makes it even more complicated is using money from a personal PAC to fund an opposition campaign, BTW, a campaign littered with lies and false information.
This should be questioned, but not on the basis of law, but on ethics.
“Laws without morals are in vain.” – Benjamin Franklin
The worst part about the campaign is it is being funded by the mayor of the largest city in South Dakota. The opponents know they need Sioux Falls to vote this down in order to win so they spread the lies.
Rick Steves was the guest on TheDakota Scout podcastthis week. He did a marvelous job of explaining decriminalization further and how it will be up to our state legislature to fine tune the law if passed. He called it the ‘Reefer Madness’ propaganda.
But Mayor TenHaken made an interesting point. He said that if IM27 does pass, there’s no guarantee that you’ll be able to buy weed in Sioux Falls, other than what’s currently allowed for medical marijuana use.
The mayor brought up Colorado Springs, Colorado, where the city doesn’t allow dispensaries even though it’s legal in that state. Ultimately, it would be up to the South Dakota Legislature to decide how marijuana is regulated, he said.
So I asked him what he would tell lawmakers should that come to pass.
“If I could tell them what to do, I would say we have what’s called home rule in Sioux Falls. I think that is a muscle that we would certainly flex on this. But I can say other vices that we limit. We limit the number of liquor licenses. We’ve limited medical (marijuana) dispensaries. It’s not going to be a cannabis free-fall in Sioux Falls if this would happen and we have to put this here. We need to be pragmatic about if it would pass.”
First off, even with Home Rule, the mayor doesn’t have the power to limit anything, that is up to the city council. I would also find the limitation of casinos, bars, liquor stores as NOT a fair comparison. You can gamble, drink or buy alcohol for home ingestion on any corner in this city. I guess I would ask what limitations he is talking about? By that comparison we could have a dispensary within a half mile of everyone’s house in Sioux Falls.
I don’t care if you are running for office or are advocating for or against a measure. Lying to constituents to get the intended result will always fail in the end. Liars will always be losers no matter what happens on election day.
UPDATE: I have seen some poorly thrown together pressers before, but this one took the cake. During the briefing which featured mostly TenHaken, he was asked about the monicker ‘Reject IM 27’ he said it isn’t a slogan just some materials that his PAC, Next Gen came up with. They also tried to link homelessness to Rec MJ legalization. If I wasn’t surrounded by Republicans I probably would have busted up laughing. Sheriff Milstead also went after a retired veteran and SFPO for supporting IM 27. I didn’t catch everything he said, but I think he questioned his mental state. I also enjoyed Maggie Sutton’s phone going off while in the middle of the presser. Several reporters asked questions, but I think one of the TV stations cameramen really went after them about why they are so opposed. Patrick Lalley with Sioux Falls Forum also asked PTH about his conflict if it passes and he has to implement policy. Paul pretty much said he would use the power of Home Rule Charter to limit access. This is pretty bold statement considering the city still has to follow state law and the council approves all ordinances. Lalley also asked Minnehaha County State’s Attorney, Dan Haggar about what the city and county are currently doing to combat illegal MJ use right now. There was a lot of stammering. A few days ago PTH posted a video on his FB page where he tricked his youngest daughter into believing MJ edibles were real candy to prove a point. Here’s the deal, potheads won’t be going to schools handing out edibles. Unfortunately polling for IM 27 has it a neck and neck race, and if SF doesn’t carry the measure, it won’t pass.
Leaders(?) will have a presser tomorrow to spread more baloney about the harmful effects of marijuana. The only thing IM 27 does is decriminalize possession of small amounts of recreational MJ for adult use. There is nothing in the measure that sets up dispensaries or a taxation system. That will be the job of the legislative ‘leaders’ to take that on if the measure passes. There is also NO exemption for use of the product under the age of 21 (just like tobacco and alcohol).
As mentioned by the chair and proponent of IM 27, if legalizing Rec MJ across the country (about 20 states) has been so harmful and detrimental, then why hasn’t any of these states repealed the legalization? It’s simple. Because the benefits of legal MJ for adults outweighs any issues that may arise from legalization.
The opponents are trying to make this about the kids, but it has nothing to do with kids, enforcement or taxation. If the leaders in this state really want to make a difference, they would climb aboard and find a logical way to regulate, sell and tax Rec MJ for the betterment of all.
I encourage anyone who supports IM 27 and know what the opponents are pushing is total BS to show up to the presser tomorrow and call them out on their stats. It’s time we publicly call them out on their games and the dark money funding their opposition campaign from the mayor’s PAC’s donors.
I have been wagering with several people that Noem will likely not show up to the debate on Friday. I think she knows she leads in the polls and doesn’t really need to be there.
She will likely have one of her minions pen an email about her back giving her trouble or some other fake emergency.
I look at this as an opportunity for the Democratic and Libertarian candidates to pile it on her and take a double team approach to pointing out her nepotism, corruption and illegal plane trips. Instead of them attacking each other, they need to attack the failed political system we currently have in South Dakota with one-party rule.
Dakota News Now interviewed Colorado Springs, CO, Mayor John Suthers (FF: 7:30). While I was disappointed that DNN did not also interview proponents of IM 27, it didn’t seem to matter since Mayor Suthers buried himself. When asked if he has data to back up his claims about an increase in crime he says,
“I don’t have numbers . . . but I know we have a lot of them (crimes).”
He also could not provide data linking an increase in traffic deaths to marijuana use, but he ‘personally’ believes there is a link (without mentioning a 100K increase in population since Rec MJ was approved in Colorado).
Once again, a small group of officials who are opposed to decriminalizing recreational MJ are pulling crap from their behinds.
It is worth noting that all IM 27 really does is decriminalize the use of Rec MJ for adults 21 and over. The state legislature will be responsible for the regulation and taxation of a commercial retail product. This means it will give an enormous amount of control to local jurisdictions. Just because you vote to pass IM 27 doesn’t mean it will be the Wild West of pot. Larger cities in SD could choose to limit dispensaries to 1-2 to NONE.
I have argued that the state, counties and cities will save millions in law enforcement and justice costs while raking in millions more from taxation. There have been numerous studies that have proven this. The mayor of Colorado Springs has chosen a different path, he has chosen to not allow the sale of MJ in his community and because of that is getting NO benefit from taxation to fight the black market and illegal minor use. That’s on him.
TenHaken isn’t sold on the idea that revenues from marijuana legalization are a tremendous boon to a community.
“Any revenue that is realized is used to deal with the unintended consequences, treatment issues, crime issues, that result as a result of legalization,” TenHaken said.
Shweich argues against that.
“If it were the case that in any of these legalization states that the cost of the policy was greater than the revenue then why haven’t we seen any state repeal this policy?” Schweich said.
In fact, both Lincoln and Minnehaha County along with the City of Sioux Falls and neighboring towns could see millions in tax revenue that could be directed at education, roads and criminal justice.
Besides Sheriff Milstead rants about the Southern border and immigrants they started attacking IM 27 claiming that cannabis legalization would lead to more violence, hurt children and families. Alcohol, Meth, Opioids, Poverty (low wage jobs) and Video Lottery do a pretty good job of that already.
But none of that was mentioned – only the evil weed.
“Individuals go to purchase marijuana, and they get drug-ripped,” Milstead said. “And, so, that’s why some of the people buying marijuana are carrying guns, and that’s why some people are selling marijuana are carrying guns. And, so, there’s a lot of black market marijuana dealings that go on in our community, and some of them result in violence. Some of them result with individuals joining gangs, and, so, I certainly would keep marijuana in that top three of what drugs we’re encountering and dealing with on a regular basis, sometimes with people that are armed and posing a danger to our community.”
They claimed the black market would thrive if Rec MJ became legal. Sure. Just like it is now. It would only be legal to purchase by those who are 21 and older, so yes, teenagers are going to have to find an illegal way to use, just like they have been doing for decades with alcohol and tobacco. The crimes committed because of the illegal trade of MJ are already here, they won’t suddenly disappear if Rec passes.
And whose job is it to stop the black market drug sales? The very people who want to blame a boogey man from Mexico with a truckload of pot and illegal guns, our Police and Sheriff Departments.
It was disappointing that they offered NO solutions to the current illicit drug problems we already have.
The reporter, John Gaskins, who wrote the DNN article asked Milstead at the press conference that he mentioned drug dealers and criminals stealing guns out of unlocked cars and wondered if Milstead would support fining people whose guns are stolen and used in crimes. Milstead said that was up to the legislature (passing the buck once again) and said he would not be inclined to punish LEGAL gun owners. But when a legal vehicle owner does something irresponsible with their vehicle they get a fine.
In fact, since our Legislature and Governor signed an open carry law in our state, gun violence has skyrocketed in Sioux Falls. Not sure if there is a correlation, but it is hardly a coincidence.
When it comes to the black market drug trade and the violence associated with it in our state, our police and deputies could take a multi-faceted approach to prevention, but instead they decided to focus on a country that doesn’t border our state and a drug that no one has ever overdosed on. They also failed to mention that legal MJ sales could be taxed very heavily and assist law enforcement with funding to prevent violence and illegal drug trade. Milstead made a claim that taxation would not offset the legal issues with Rec MJ, that claim, about Colorado Springs was debunked by DNN;
In July 2022, Suthers told a Colorado TV station that he’s “vehemently opposed” to recreational marijuana sales in Colorado Springs. Suthers’ office did not immediately respond to requests seeking comment.
“When we legalized recreational marijuana in the state, I remember the promises,” Suthers told the station. “Number one: there’ll be all kinds of money for schools, roads, all that kind of stuff. But all the money we’ve taken in barely pays for the regulation of marijuana and it doesn’t pay for the social problems.”
In response to this, Anthony Carlson, a campaign manager for Your Choice Colorado Springs, told The Center Square — an American conservative news website that features reporting on state and local government — that Suthers “is sticking his head in the sand and talking as if adult-use recreational cannabis isn’t already 100% legal to possess and consume in Colorado Springs. Right now, people are traveling to nearby communities, purchasing their cannabis, and bringing it right back home to use.”
“Recreational cannabis is already here, we just don’t reap the benefits of the tax revenue that comes with it,” he added.
Our illegal drug trade problems won’t be solved after Rec MJ is legalized in the state, but who is solving them now?
I did not attend the Snoop Dogg concert last night, but I heard it was quite ‘smoky’ in the Denty. The SFPD released this statement;
Sioux Falls Public Information Officer Sam Clemens said that the police department did not receive any calls of drug use at the PREMIER Center during Tuesday’s show and there were no arrests made.
I guess he went on to say that there have also been no arrests made in the Tuthill ghost shooter event and the Gilberto’s incident. ‘At this time our concentration is just on arresting city employees’ (snarc).
There are just 18 days left until the May 3 deadline to submit our petitions to the South Dakota Secretary of State. We need just under 17,000 valid signatures to qualify. However, we currently have only 13,500.
But with your help, we can finish this signature drive in the next two weeks and ensure that our recreational cannabis legalization initiative qualifies for the November 2022 ballot. Important updates:
We established a Petition Hotline – 605-269-8552 We can help you find a signing location, get involved as a volunteer, apply for a job as a paid circulator, or answer any other questions. Call or text 24 hours a day.
Rapid City Drivethru Petition Signing Event this weekend You can sign the petition without even getting out of your car. You can also pick up petitions and handouts and get trained as a volunteer. WHERE: 230 E North St, Rapid City, SD WHEN: This Saturday and Sunday (April 16th and 17th) from 10am to 7pm MT
Sioux Falls Drivethru Petition Signing Event next weekend This will be our second Drivethru in Sioux Falls at our campaign headquarters. WHERE: 1020 S Minnesota Ave, Sioux Falls, SD WHEN: Next Saturday and Sunday (April 23rd and 24th) from 10am to 7pm CT
It's setting up to be another hot day in much of KELOLAND. However, we do have a better chance of scattered rain this afternoon across the east. More on the that story in moment. Highs yesterday reached the mid 90s in many areas from Aberdeen to Sioux Falls, a growing sign of the dry weather […]
