Over the past two months many groups, members of law enforcement, government officials and community leaders in South Dakota have been campaigning against Initiated Measure 27, which would legalize recreational marijuana for adults over 21.
Some groups, like Protecting South Dakota Kids, have come up with a panoply of negative results they contend legalization would usher. Protecting SD Kids went so far as to claim that marijuana “can cause a permanent drop in intelligence,” followed by two Sioux Falls officials who, along with Mayor Paul TenHaken, challenged what they called “myths” from cannabis activists that state's prisons were full of people with cannabis convictions and that the black market was shutting down in a regulated system.
Now, with elections approaching, former police officers and military members are joining cannabis advocates in their struggle to legalize the plant, reported Keloland.
“I want South Dakota voters to know that there are many members of the law enforcement community who support marijuana legalization,” said Roseanna Renaud, an army veteran and 27-year retired police officer.
These officers share similar experiences with cannabis while on patrol.
“It’s a distraction for police, a waste of time and resources that could be spent fighting real crime,” Renaud said.
Former police officers agree that drugs are an important issue, but that cannabis is not.
“Keeping marijuana illegal doesn’t make us safer, it’s a distraction from much more series problems,” said JoAnn Jorgensen, a former police officer who lives in Sioux Falls. “With six grandchildren I’m more concerned with them finding a fentanyl-laced pill on the playground.”
Retired Marine and cop, Bill Stocker said he's intervened in many domestic disputes and “zero times was marijuana a factor. It was always alcohol or meth, but never marijuana.”
Stocker says illegal drug dealers who sell untested products are the biggest danger, which is an issue IM 27 will help solve.
Cannabis Supporters Accuse Officials Of Illegal Election Interference
At the same time, the group behind South Dakota's 2020 medical marijuana proposal is accusing several state officials of holding illegal campaigns against pro-marijuana initiatives, reported High Times.
New Approach South Dakota said on Tuesday that it has filed information requests to confirm if the officials broke the state’s election laws by speaking against the cannabis-related proposals.
“Your tax dollars should not be used to promote any politician’s personal political agenda,” the group said in a Facebook post. “The state, an agency of the state, and the governing body of any county, municipality, or other political subdivision of the state may not expend or permit the expenditure of public funds for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of any candidate, or for the petitioning of a ballot question on the ballot or the adoption or defeat of any ballot question. “
The group has sent many information requests to government offices and officials who might have violated state laws by speaking against cannabis measures. The officials include Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken, Minnehaha county sheriff Mike Milstead, Rapid City Mayor Steve Allender and more, reported Dakota News Now.
“The decision to do this and call this out was not an easy one. We’re submitting public record requests for multiple political officials throughout the state. And the decision to do that was not easy. These are dealing with a very powerful political establishment in the state.” said New Approach South Dakota deputy director Ned Horsted.
Photo: Benzinga Edit; Sources: EKATERINA BOLOVTSOVA by Pexels
