South Dakota Politicos Daschle And Parkinson Endorse Marijuana Reform Initiatives

Former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle openly endorsed two marijuana reform ballot initiatives in South Dakota.

Daschle, a Vietnam veteran, served as a United States senator for South Dakota between 1987 and 2005, becoming the Minority Leader in 1995, and the Majority Leader in 2001.

He is one of the longest-serving Democratic Senate leaders in history.

Chuck Parkinson also backed the ballot initiatives.

Parkinson was a staffer for South Dakota Senator Jim Abdnor, and an Associate Commissioner of the U.S. Customs Service under President Ronald Reagan. He also served as the Subcommittee Staff Director for the House and Senate Committees on Appropriations.

One of the ballots, Measure 26, would establish a medical marijuana program for patients diagnosed with serious health conditions. The other, Amendment A, would legalize cannabis for adult-use and protect South Dakotans’ right to access medical marijuana.

"We were delighted to see former Senator Tom Daschle and former President Reagan senior official, Chuck Parkinson, endorse our two marijuana reform ballot initiatives," Drey Samuelson, campaign manager for South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, told Benzinga. "Polls show that large majorities of South Dakotans support both medical marijuana and adult-use marijuana, and the endorsement of these two prominent South Dakotans, one a lifelong Democrat and one a lifelong Republican, clearly demonstrates our growing momentum."