SD NORML

Legalizing ma*****na is one thing we can all agree on, regardless of our political affiliation.

63% of Republican Millennials favor ma*****na legalization Republican Millennials, however, are not as supportive of ma*****na legalization as their young Democratic and Democratic-leaning counterparts.

The editors at the Freeman Courier endorse another vote on medical ma*****na in South Dakota!

"The suggestion that it’s too dangerous or will encourage recreational use flies in the face of the countless other popular prescription drugs in use today. The focus should be on appropriate use and abuse of all drugs. That should include ma*****na.

In 2006, a ballot measure that would have legalized medical ma*****na in South Dakota narrowly lost by just 4 percent. While a similar measure was soundly defeated in 2010, citizens should have another opportunity to legalize it."

See the full editorial here, published on March 11:
http://www.freemansd.com/opinion/article_ee275670-c7f7-11e4-9d23-67755b94ddcc.html

In depth article at the RC Journal about the recent push for ma*****na legalization at Pine Ridge!

http://rapidcityjournal.com/news/local/pine-ridge-reservation-considers-legalizing-ma*****na/article_af9b0f7c-cb6b-504a-a11a-6e8da8005087.html

Pine Ridge reservation considers legalizing ma*****na PINE RIDGE | After Robin Tapio endured 10 months of chemotherapy and radiation treatment for breast cancer, she turned to ma*****na to feel better.

BREAKING NEWS! The people of Pine Ridge may soon be voting on ma*****na legalization!

http://www.keloland.com/newsdetail.cfm/tribe-considers-putting-legalized-pot-to-vote/?id=159598

Tribe Considers Putting Legalized Pot To Vote An Oglala Sioux tribal committee has started a process that could allow a public vote on whether to legalize ma*****na use on...

We're a little late today but Happy 420 to all of you!

*ATTENTION* Sioux Falls/Minnehaha County!

If you believe in any cause, like the right to vote, the right to speak publicly about the government, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Pro-Choice, Pro-Life, Equality, Ma*****na legalization, ANYTHING it doesn't really matter --- if you believe the FIRST AMENDMENT is the foundation to our democracy then listen up! ---

The Minnehaha County Commission is meeting today to discuss the presence of petition gatherers outside the doorway at the County Admin building & Courthouse. Today's meeting is just for discussion at 1pm, but a formal policy to restrict or ban petitioning could be voted on at the Commission's weekly meeting tomorrow morning, 9AM in the Commission chambers (courthouse), and that meeting will be open to public input.

The County admin building is frequented by thousands of citizens on a weekly basis, to renew drivers' licenses, car registration, voter registration, pay fines, file civil claims, and many, many more functions of the government that citizens are entitled. The County Admin building and courthouse are by far the best place to gather petition signatures from registered voters.

The First Amendment guarantees the right to all American citizens to petition the government for redress of grievances. This right is under serious attack at the national and state level, and now today, at our local County level. If we cannot petition the government in a taxpayer-funded town square to refer policies/legislation or propose our own ideas that affect everyone in the community, then our rights to petition the government and peacefully assemble are seriously infringed upon. Our founding fathers decided these rights were so important they put them in the First Amendment of the Constitution along with freedom of speech and religion, and there's no excuse why these rights should be "restricted" or banned in a public place.

When I collected petition signatures for the South Dakota Coalition for Compassion in 2010, I got about 1-200 signatures each day outside the courthouse. This grassroots effort was successful after 6 months of collecting 33,000 signatures from around the state, and the vast majority of those signatures came from outside the County Admin building in Sioux Falls. The County Admin building in Rapid City was the second most productive location! With out these locations for collecting signatures I seriously doubt there is any real ability to collect enough signatures for statewide initiatives - SD is a rural and spread-out state without a lot of high foot traffic areas, we're a driving community. I explored every idea, went to so many events, door-to-door, and tried the DMV, the library, the post office and any imaginable public place - and no other place was/is as productive (or appropriate) as the County Admin building. Mind you, it's also very convenient for citizens to register to vote at the County building to be eligible to sign petitions.

IF YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE VALUABLE RIGHT TO PETITION IN OUR COMMUNITY - PLEASE COME TO THE COUNTY ADMIN BUILDING (WEST DOORS FACING SZECHWANZ) FROM 9:30AM - 12:30PM AND SIGN MY IMPROMPTU PETITION! This petition is a simple statement:

******* I support the right of citizens to gather petition signatures on the County Admin and Courthouse property! *******

My goal is to collect 100 signatures before today's meeting, and 200 signatures before tomorrows meeting. The impromptu petition has no formal effect but will send a clear message to the County Commissioners.

Here's a flashback to my 19-year-old self getting started in activism, by collecting petition signatures to put medical ma*****na on the ballot! Enjoy!

- Emmett Reistroffer
(720) 949 - 8397

Gathering Signatures For Vote On Ma*****na The South Dakota Legislature decided not to legalize medical ma*****na earlier this year, but a new group is trying to bring it...

To answer your question Mr. Hult, YES - YES - YES South dakota's pot laws are WAY OUT OF WHACK. There is only 2 other states with harsher penalties!

http://jhult.tumblr.com/post/41927295419/are-south-dakotas-pot-laws-out-of-whack-with-the

Are South Dakota's pot laws 'out of whack' with the rest of the country's? On Monday, our friend David Montgomery had a story about a couple of ma*****na bills that were set to appear this legislative session. One would let a person use a medical defense against pot charges....

URGENT ACTION: CALL/EMAIL THE HOUSE HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE MEMBERS NOW! The Medical Necessity Defense Act will go to hearing tomorrow morning at 7:45am

2013 Session - Bill History 2013 Session HB 1227 provide for an affirmative defense of medical necessity for ce...

Thanks to South Dakota Families First lawmakers will consider to reclassify the criminal offense for possessing less than 2 ounces of ma*****na, moving the crime from a Class 1 to a Class 2 misdemeanor!

Why is this bill important to South Dakota's public safety? There are over 3000 arrests each year for this offense, If passed, this bill allows police to use discretion when dealing with such offenders. They will no longer be required to arrest and detain them but have the discretion to do so - meaning police can use their time as they best see fit, and focus more on violent and dangerous crimes!!!

This bill gained substantial interest because of our report on CLEARANCE RATES in SD. Since ma*****na arrests started increasing consistently since the early 80s, our percentage of solving R**E and ARMED ROBBERIES has consistently declined - TODAY, South Dakota is 20% below the national average for solving r**e cases and 13% below for solving armed robberies.

We will improve public safety and we will put FAMILIES FIRST!

2013 Session - Bill History 2013 Session SB 221 revise certain penalties relating to the possession of ma*****na.

Families First is investigating how many SD prison inmates have children and what we can do to reduce the chance of family break-up due to incarceration, and prevent the children from continuing the cycle of poverty, crime and drug use.

We believe the outdated "war on drugs" targets the most vulnerable families and should be addressed with serious attention to relieve the suffering of a family for having a loved one locked up and removed.

The effects of our drug laws have b
een concentrated among those most likely to form fragile families: poor and minority men with little schooling and single parents. Imprisonment diminishes the earnings of parents, compromises their health, reduces familial resources, and increases the likelihood of a family to breakup. It also adds to the deficits of poor children, thus ensuring that the effects of imprisonment on inequality are transferred to the next generation. Mass imprisonment of non-violent drug users may increase future racial and class inequality — and may even lead to more crime in the long term, thereby undoing any benefits of criminalizing drug use.

U.S. drug policy has thus, in the name of public safety, produced more vulnerable families and reduced the life chances of their children.

We must address this problem in South Dakota law books and reverse the damage caused by the drug war.

Will you help us bring a tour of film screenings across South Dakota to start a discussion about the drug war and the impact prisons have on families?

The House I Live In - Trailer In Theaters October 5th - http://www.thehouseilivein.org Filmed in more than twenty states, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN tells the stories of individuals at all level...

Great news for our neighbors in North Dakota!

GOOD LUCK North Dakotans for Compassionate Care!

http://www.wday.com/event/article/id/67322/group/News/

Medical ma*****na possible to make November ballot | WDAY | Fargo, ND BISMARCK, N.D. (WDAY TV) - After turning in more than 20,000 signatures to the North Dakota Secretary of State office, those in favor of legalizing medical ma*****na are confident the measure will be on the November ballot.

Too bad we're not on the 2012 ballot in SoDak. This would be better chances than 2010 or 2014 with voter turn out at it's highest in Presidential elections --

However, please take a moment to message or email any friends or family north of us in the other Dakota ;-)

North Dakota is about to launch a medical ma*****na petition drive and will have until Aug. 8th to collect nearly 30k signatures.
Will you help our neighbors bring compassion to patients?

Please email the coordinator based in Fargo, Dave Schwartz, with any information that may be helpful:
[email protected]