Jacob Redmond
Well-Known Member
An effort to legalize medical marijuana makes one step closer to getting on the 2016 ballot.
This happens just days after the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, fearing a federal raid, burned its marijuana crop as it's plan to sell pot temporarily goes up in smoke.
Meanwhile, supporters of legalizing medical marijuana are not giving up.
The group New Approach South Dakota collected enough signatures to bring its petition to legalize medical marijuana to the state capitol and to voters.
It was a special delivery to the Secretary of State's office, more than 16,000 names of South Dakotans who support legalizing the drug.
New Approach South Dakota organizer Melissa Mentele said "it was such a hard battle because some of our volunteers are handicapped, or parents of handicapped children, so it's not like we're all out there running, and healthy to do this every single day. We've done it in between surgeries and hospitalizations, and kids being sick."
South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs said "what it tells you is that we have a very active democracy in South Dakota. It shows in our voter turnout as well. South Dakota ranks nationally in the top five for voter turnout at the polls on election day."
The petition to legalize medical marijuana means many things to different people, but for George Hendrickson and his son Eli, its personal.
"For us, that's been a goal objective here, to be able to accomplish that here in this state, knowing that other parents won't have to go through this cycle, to get their child the kind of medicine they may need for this," Hendrickson said.
"It would change the nerve pain in my arm. We haven't been able to treat it because I'm allergic to so much stuff. A lotion alone, no ingestion, a lotion alone takes away the nerve pain, but because of South Dakota's laws it's not legal here," Mentele said.
While the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe recently took a step back in its plans to sell both medical and recreational pot, for these medical marijuana supporters they've made one step closer towards legalization.
"This day is really a milestone that we've been looking forward to. This was the pinnacle of determining if we were going to be able to get this to its final stage," Hendrickson said.
Krebs' office will verify the collected signatures and forms.
Once the petition and signatures have been verified, it will be up to the people of South Dakota to make their voices heard about pot at the polls next November.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Supporters Submit Petition Signatures
Author: Mark Roper
Photo Credit: KSFY News
Website: KSFY News
This happens just days after the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, fearing a federal raid, burned its marijuana crop as it's plan to sell pot temporarily goes up in smoke.
Meanwhile, supporters of legalizing medical marijuana are not giving up.
The group New Approach South Dakota collected enough signatures to bring its petition to legalize medical marijuana to the state capitol and to voters.
It was a special delivery to the Secretary of State's office, more than 16,000 names of South Dakotans who support legalizing the drug.
New Approach South Dakota organizer Melissa Mentele said "it was such a hard battle because some of our volunteers are handicapped, or parents of handicapped children, so it's not like we're all out there running, and healthy to do this every single day. We've done it in between surgeries and hospitalizations, and kids being sick."
South Dakota Secretary of State Shantel Krebs said "what it tells you is that we have a very active democracy in South Dakota. It shows in our voter turnout as well. South Dakota ranks nationally in the top five for voter turnout at the polls on election day."
The petition to legalize medical marijuana means many things to different people, but for George Hendrickson and his son Eli, its personal.
"For us, that's been a goal objective here, to be able to accomplish that here in this state, knowing that other parents won't have to go through this cycle, to get their child the kind of medicine they may need for this," Hendrickson said.
"It would change the nerve pain in my arm. We haven't been able to treat it because I'm allergic to so much stuff. A lotion alone, no ingestion, a lotion alone takes away the nerve pain, but because of South Dakota's laws it's not legal here," Mentele said.
While the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe recently took a step back in its plans to sell both medical and recreational pot, for these medical marijuana supporters they've made one step closer towards legalization.
"This day is really a milestone that we've been looking forward to. This was the pinnacle of determining if we were going to be able to get this to its final stage," Hendrickson said.
Krebs' office will verify the collected signatures and forms.
Once the petition and signatures have been verified, it will be up to the people of South Dakota to make their voices heard about pot at the polls next November.
News Moderator: Jacob Redmond 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Supporters Submit Petition Signatures
Author: Mark Roper
Photo Credit: KSFY News
Website: KSFY News
