Group Trying to Ease South Dakota’s Pot Laws Kicking off Campaign, No Support from Governor

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Proponents of a measure to decriminalize pot in South Dakota are officially kicking off their campaign in Sioux Falls.

The group South Dakotans Against Prohibition hosted a fundraising event Wednesday at a local bar, complete with glass blowing and free beer.

Under the proposed measure, possession of one ounce or less of marijuana would no longer be a criminal penalty, but a civil penalty similar to a speeding ticket.

Organizer Ryan Gaddy says he thinks the measure has support in the state, particularly because he estimates it would save the state millions of dollars in criminal costs.

Gaddy says the group has been collecting signatures for several weeks and plans to use Wednesday night's event to raise money to cover gas and printing costs.

Meanwhile, Governor Dennis Daugaard says he needs to review the proposed ballot measures that would decriminalize marijuana possession and legalize medicinal cannabis, but the governor says he generally hasn't supported such proposals.

Daugaard told the Associated Press on Wednesday he believes marijuana decriminalization would make the drug more available and less difficult to possess.

Daugaard says he would need to be convinced that marijuana has a medicinal use that available prescription drugs can't perform before he would support the use of pot for medical reasons.

Proponents of the ballot measures argue that law enforcement resources should be devoted elsewhere and that sick patients need access to the plant.

Backers need to collect nearly 14,000 signatures by November 9th to get the measures before voters in 2016.

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