Cannabis Regulatory Update: SD Gov Says 'No' To Legalization, PA Tweaks DUI Law

South Dakota Gov. Urges Against Marijuana Legalization

As Election Day nears on Nov. 3, and five states consider some form of cannabis legalization, South Dakota governor Kristi Noem is advocating against marijuana.

In a recently released No Way On Amendment A committee's video ad, Noem urges South Dakotans to vote against legalizing marijuana on the state's November ballot, Marijuana Moment reports.

Apparently, she is strongly opposed to both the medical marijuana legalization measure and the adult-use legalization initiative.

Adult-use would enable people 21 years of age and older to possess and distribute up to one ounce of cannabis and cultivate up to three plants.

"It's not good for our kids," she said. "It's not going to improve our communities. The fact is, I've never met someone who got smarter from smoking pot."

Noem vetoed the last year's bill to legalize hemp, only to legalize both the crop and CBD oil in May after setting out a series of policy requests.

Cannabis investors who discussed what to expect following the elections — at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference held last week — partially addressed this issue.

Yoni Meyer, a partner at Casa Verde Capital, said that seeing cannabis legislation in more conservative states "speaks volumes for where the national conversation goes."

If the referendum passes, Anderson Economic Group's Andrew Miller noted, "one out of every three Americans would live in a state where they can legally purchase recreational cannabis." 

Pennsylvania Amends DUI Law

Meantime, on Wednesday, the Pennsylvania state House approved a bill poised to decriminalize driving while tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), is still in the legal medical-marijuana user's system.  

According to the Pittsburgh City Paper, the legislation would amend the state's existing DUI law, which currently applies to holders of medical-marijuana cards as well.

Introduced by state Rep. Mike Carrol, the amendment is passed 109-93.

The amended bill states that driving under a controlled substance is not allowed, except when marijuana is “used lawfully in accordance with the act of April 17, 2016, known as the Medical Marijuana.”

"I think you can ask any veteran or anybody that's using medical cannabis that if they took a prescription on Monday, [by] Wednesday, they're not high and if they got pulled over, they darn sure shouldn't be charged for being intoxicated or under the influence of medical marijuana and the last time they took it was Monday," explained state Rep. Ed Gainey.