South Dakota
Recreational marijuana is on the South Dakota ballot this November. What to know:
Next month, South Dakota voters will once again determine the state’s fate of recreational marijuana with Initiated Measure 29.
If passed, the measure would allow those aged 21 and older to “possess, grow, ingest and distribute marijuana or marijuana paraphernalia,” according to Attorney General Marty Jackley’s explanation.
Proponents say IM-29 is a “common-sense policy” that would boost the state’s revenue with licensed businesses as opposed to black market sales and allow law enforcement to eliminate prosecuting non-violent marijuana offenses to focus on “real crime.”
Voters originally opted for and passed the legalization of marijuana in 2020. However, the measure was challenged by Gov. Kristi Noem and two law enforcement officers. Ultimately, it was extinguished in 2021 by the South Dakota Supreme Court, citing the ballot measure at the time violated the state Constitution’s requirement that amendments do not encompass more than one subject, according to previous Argus Leader reporting.
Opponents argue that voting Yes on IM-29 could lead to increased public health risks, especially among teens, as well as impaired driving. The measure would also allegedly “open the door for increased crime, suicide rates… and mental health problems.”
What would IM-29 do for South Dakota?
If passed, the debated initiated measure would add four new sections to Title 34 of the state’s codified laws, which covers public health and safety.
IM-29 would legalize recreational marijuana for adults aged 21 and older in South Dakota, allowing for possession of up to 2 ounces. Residents would also be able to grow up to six marijuana plants with no more than 12 per household.
It would still remain illegal to drive under the influence, and the measure would restrict where it is contained or consumed, including schools, certain properties depending on the property owner, places of employment according to the employer, and any other locations where tobacco is prohibited.
A fiscal note on the measure says it would “not decriminalize the sale of cannabis but would decriminalize the sale of cannabis accessories.” In other words, marijuana-derived substances would be allowed but marijuana would remain illegal under federal law.
IM-29 also discloses that South Dakota counties may see incarceration expenses reduced by $581,556 per year.
No changes would be made to the medical marijuana program.
What proponents are saying:
IM-29 sponsor, and Executive Director for South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Law, Matthew Schweich says voting yes on IM-29 would protect personal freedom and restore the will of the people of South Dakota, referring to the outcome of the 2020 election on the matter.
“Whether we pass measure 29 or not, cannabis already exists in South Dakota. The question is, are we going to be pragmatic and take a common sense approach or are we going to stick with an obsolete failed policy prohibition that has done nothing for us for a century?” he stated during a Sept. 19 South Dakota Public Broadcasting debate against former state lawmaker and Protecting South Dakota Kids Executive Director Rhonda Milstead.
During that debate, Schweich also said he supports “strong labeling and packaging” as well as THC caps on marijuana products.
Proponents for IM-29 said if passed, the measure would help create new South Dakota jobs, reduce spending on incarceration and generate millions in new tax revenue.
This time, they say, the measure is shorter and simpler compared to previous attempts to legalize recreational marijuana in the state.
What opponents are saying:
During the SDPB debate last month, Milstead said she thinks no amount of THC will be safe for people.
“So why invite trouble into our state in the form of a drug that is not safe, not responsible and will never be regulated?” she said during the debate.
According to the 2024 Ballot Question Pamphlet, opponents of IM-29 also say the measure will harm South Dakota children, families and communities, going as far as to say that a research report on child abuse said marijuana is often actively used the most by perpetrators of child abuse and neglect.
“I have been diagnosed for years with something called Cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome,” Kylee Hanson said. “That’s where the puking, it just comes in cycles for days on end. It’s like you develop some kind of allergy, I guess they would say, for a daily smoker of marijuana, a…
— Paul TenHaken (@paultenhaken) September 30, 2024
Mayor Paul TenHaken has also shown opposition to marijuana use and possession for both medical and recreational use. In 2021, TenHaken proposed a cap on the number of medical marijuana dispensaries in Sioux Falls.
On Sept. 30, TenHaken posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he is encouraging others to vote No on IM-29, saying he “believes adding another legally addictive vice would not have positive community benefits at this time.”
This article originally appeared on Sioux Falls Argus Leader: IM-29, legalizing recreational marijuana, on the ballot in South Dakota
All nine tribes located in South Dakota are unifying in their call to return the public, federal lands in the Black Hills to tribal entities.
Each tribe passed a resolution calling on Congress to act. Treaty rights mandate the Black Hills belong to tribes, although that treaty was broken long ago.
Organizers said the most important detail in this new legislative push is the focus on public, federal lands. Put simply, places where people do not live.
Valeriah Big Eagle is the director of He Sapa initiatives for Rapid City-based nonprofit NDN Collective. She said this not about private homes in the Black Hills.
“That’s the myth, that’s the misunderstanding,” Big Eagle said. “When they’re talking about landback in the Black Hills and we’re talking about the federal public land, essentially that is the lands that nobody is living on. It’s the federal, public lands so we can protect it from extractive activities.”
Regardless of outcome, advocates say the inclusion of all South Dakota’s tribes is a historic statement of tribal unity.
Joseph Brings Plenty is a tribal council representative from Eagle Butte. He said tribes have government-signed and guaranteed rights.
“That’s something that needs to be remembered — the treaties still exist,” Brings Plenty said. “That’s why we stand on this. For the United States to uphold their end of the bargain.”
Brings Plenty said it’s a chance for native peoples to have a meaningful say in the management of the Black Hills. With that, Brings Plenty said healing can happen.
“That’s a step forward, a positive step forward,” Brings Plenty said. “The Black Hills are not for sale. I mean, it’s not just in a Lakota or Indian sense. We all want clean water, we all want the air to be clear, we all want housing and grandchildren. We all want a life. The more and more, as is inevitable, the cultures mesh, I think this is all important. Why lose it?”
This comes on the heels of a mining effort near the Black Hills sacred site of Pe’Sla, where the company behind it withdrew after a legal battle and widespread opposition from the Indigenous community.
For the first time in the state’s history, South Dakotans will vote in a runoff election July 28 to choose a candidate for governor. Republicans Toby Doeden and Gov. Larry Rhoden were the top two candidates in the June 2 primary election, but neither received 35% of the vote, which triggered the runoff.
Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about the runoff election:
If I didn’t vote in the June 2 Republican primary, may I still vote in the runoff?
Yes. Registered Republicans, regardless of whether they voted on June 2, may vote in the runoff election.
What about the general election in the fall?
Yes. You are not required to vote in primary elections to cast your ballot in general elections.
How long do I have to change my voter registration?
Voters have until July 13 to change or register their voting affiliation. You can find the form to do so on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s website, where you will print the form and submit it to your county auditor.
South Dakota voter guide
What South Dakotans need to know about voting in statewide elections, and who and what are on the ballot.
Who pays for the runoff?
South Dakota state law says that counties are responsible for paying all statewide general election fees. That includes the cost of ballots, poll workers and election equipment. The South Dakota Secretary of State’s office reimburses counties for the cost of post-election audits and administers the system that allows overseas voters, including military personnel, to vote and request ballots.
How do I know where I vote?
You can view your polling place for the July 28 election on the South Dakota Secretary of State’s voter information portal. You will need to provide your full name and either your ZIP code or birthday.
Is this the first runoff for governor?
Yes. The state’s first-ever runoff for governor is happening this year because of a law passed in 1985. Codified law 12-6-51.1 says if one candidate does not receive 35% of the vote in a primary, a runoff election between the top two candidates will take place eight weeks later to determine who advances to the general election. Before that law was passed, if a candidate did not receive 35% of the vote, the winner was decided at state party conventions.
Former Aberdeen Legislator Crafted Law That’s Led To South Dakota’s First Gubernatorial Runoff | Aberdeen Insider His blog can be found online at sodakgovs.com, and he added a Wednesday, June 3 entry about the first gubernatorial runoff election in state history.
If I live in Sioux Falls, may I vote in runoff elections for mayor and governor at the same time?
Yes, but for a limited amount of time, and only at specific locations. The runoff election for Sioux Falls mayor will take place on June 23, and the runoff election for governor will take place on July 28. They are separately administered elections.
But absentee voting for governor opens June 12 and absentee voting for mayor opens June 16. Sioux Falls residents may absentee vote for both races at either the Minnehaha or Lincoln County auditor’s offices. That means that between June 16 and June 22 – the day before the Sioux Falls mayoral election – registered Republicans can visit either office and vote absentee for both elections on the same day. Absentee voting is not available on election day.
Sioux Falls Simplified, The Dakota Scout and Sioux Falls Live are hosting a public mayoral debate on June 12 between candidates Christine Erickson and Jamie Smith. The debate will take place at 4 p.m. at Carnegie Town Hall in Sioux Falls and is free and open to all members of the public. Megan Raposa, founder of Sioux Falls Simplified, said of the debate: “The goal is to discuss specific policy questions based on input from community stakeholders.”
Start here: Sioux Falls 101
Want to get involved in the decisions that shape Sioux Falls? Start here to get a local government crash course.
South Dakota News Watch is an independent nonprofit. Read, donate and subscribe for free at sdnewswatch.org. Contact reporter/Report for America corps member Molly Wetsch: 605-531-7382/molly.wetsch@sdnewswatch.org.
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now) – A national group of former MAGA supporters is reaching out to South Dakotans with a message. They want Republicans to know it’s okay to have second thoughts about party affiliation.
A billboard for leavingmaga.org is located in the area of 41st and Western.
Rich Logis says leaving MAGA can be a troubling journey, as it’s engrained deeply into one’s identity. He wants to reassure those who may be considering changing their mind.
“For those who don’t know about us but can learn about how to find a new community of those with others who, also like me, were in MAGA and then went through the odyssey of leaving it,” Logis said.
The website offers weekly online sessions, online resources and a newsletter.
“When you leave MAGA, you walk away from demonizing and vilifying and dehumanizing your those with whom you disagree,” Logis said. “We developed a community where people felt they could rediscover themselves and reclaim their humanity, their agency, and their empathy.”
Representative Tim Goodwin said he met President Trump five times and his policies are outstanding. He said Trump’s rhetoric sometimes gets him in trouble, but he did a lot for the country.
Asked if someone can be a Republican and not be MAGA, Goodwin said that’s fine.
“You’re not a Trump follower, but you’re a Republican. Absolutely, you can. I think that’s everybody’s choice,” Goodwin said.
Logis said he hopes to look back on this political era with a sense of pride knowing the group reduced the divisions and polarization that exist in the country.
Copyright 2026 Dakota News Now. All rights reserved.
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