South Dakota Legalization Bid Approved for November Ballots

South Dakota Secretary of State Monae Johnson announced the validation of a petition to put a cannabis legalization question before voters during the 2024 general election, the Associated Press reports.

It will be the third election in a row that South Dakota voters have considered legalizing adult-use cannabis — the last time voters considered it in 2022, the proposal was defeated with 53% of voters rejecting the reforms. Meanwhile, voters passed sweeping cannabis legalization language in 2020 but that measure was ultimately struck down by the state Supreme Court.

Measure 29, supported by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML), seeks to legalize cannabis possession for adults aged 21 and older and allow for limited cannabis home grows. The proposal does not include rules for a regulated cannabis marketplace but legalization supporters plan to work alongside lawmakers to that end if the initiative is successful.

“We firmly believe that South Dakotans deserve to make their own choices on how they live their lives, including the freedom to responsibly use cannabis.” — SDBML’s political director Zebadiah Johnson, via the AP

Ballot proposals in South Dakota require at least 17,508 valid voter signatures to qualify; this year’s legalization proposal was validated with 22,558 signatures.