Medical marijuana to be on ballot in South Dakota

[cenacle]

[Forwarded email from Marijuana Policy Project]

Yesterday, the South Dakota government certified a medical marijuana initiative for the November 7 ballot!

Please help the South Dakota activists responsible for this initiative by donating to the campaign today. Because the campaign's previous revenues were spent on paying petitioners to collect signatures to place the initiative on the ballot, there is currently no money in the South Dakota campaign's coffers.

If the initiative is passed by a majority of voters, South Dakota will become the 12th state to protect medical marijuana patients from arrest and jail â€" and the first in the Midwest to do so.

Please visit www.SDmedicalmarijuana.org to learn more about the initiative.

A coalition of activists in South Dakota â€" led by South Dakotans for Safe Access and South Dakotans for Medical Marijuana â€" handed in 24,000 signatures to the state government on May 2. Yesterday, the secretary of state confirmed that the petitions contained the required number of valid signatures, and the initiative will therefore appear on the November 7 ballot.

The widespread support among South Dakotans for safe and legal access to medical marijuana shows how mainstream the issue has become: A 2002 Lucas Organization poll found that 64% of South Dakota residents support allowing seriously ill patients to use marijuana if recommended by a doctor.

Please help the South Dakota activists pass this initiative on November 7 by making a donation to their work today. MPP is processing donations made online and is sending checks to the campaign on a rolling basis. Any help you can provide will be greatly appreciated.

Thank you,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
Washington, D.C.

[senorsalvia]

:cry: ----   What's such a bummer is the feds can still come in, roll over the peeps----   C'mon folks, this is no win....   It's, as Janice so succintly said::::::   "it's all the same fuckin day man......... sal

[cenacle]

Senor--

I think this ballot is great, and also great is the SD movement to overturn the sick law outlawing abortion in that state...South Dakotans are putting the issues that matter on their ballot in November! Don't give up! It can be a good day too! :twisted:

[senorsalvia]

Yes Cen, you are correct to point out that those of South Dakota do possess a somewhat more progressive, more vigorous grasp on the fundamentals of freedom than alot of others....   Upon reflection, I guess I was viewing that cup as half empty instead of proudly, half full---------  BUMP- BUMP-----------  sal

[lollipop guild]

SD residents are progressive? I'm not so sure I agree, but time will tell.

SD has been increasingly leaning republican as of late, as ousted dem incumbent Tom Daschel will tell you. Matter of fact, it was his defeat which seem to embolden the far right to start the process of outlawing abortions in that state.

On the other hand, SD is on the cusp of the western states where individual rights have always trumped that of the government. But don't make the mistake of necessarily labeling that movement progressive. The local "white power!" folks are all for less government intrusion, too.

I would be surprised if a med mj initiative passed in the great state of South Dakota. But there have been a couple of interesting developments in the fight to outlaw most abortions. One tribal leader has volunteered reservation access to medical facilities for those seeking abortion in the state if worse comes to worse. I guess if a med mj initiative were to pass, it could be feasible that a tribe could attempt to give refuge to those in need, but that's probably a stretch.

I think a "wait and see attitude," is still warranted at this point.

guild rep #13

[senorsalvia]

Interesting, that tribal angle---------  Wish we'd see a new  style Leornard Peltier, or whomever that was willing to push the entheo angle on what classes as a sovereign nations' land......  Very thought provoking....----------sal

[lollipop guild]

This just in:

A poll conducted on Monday of 800 registered voters in SD showed 47% in favor of overturning the states recent ban on abortion. 39% want the ban to stand. 14% undecided.....

guild rep #8

[cenacle]

[update from Marijuana Policy Project]

SDMM sues South Dakota government over medical marijuana initiative

South Dakotans for Medical Marijuana (SDMM) has just filed suit against the South Dakota government challenging the terribly biased ballot language that the state's attorney general issued for the medical marijuana initiative that will be on this November's ballot.

As a result, the court has directed Attorney General Larry Long and Secretary of State Chris Nelson not to print ballots for the initiative until the issue is decided.

Please visit our Web site to read news coverage of this important fight for fairness in South Dakota.

This case is a crucial step towards giving South Dakota voters the right to decide for themselves â€" without editorializing by the state's top prosecutor â€" whether they want local and state police to stop arresting medical marijuana patients.

Since this initiative is the only medical marijuana initiative to appear on any statewide ballot this year, SDMM needs your help to sue Attorney General Larry Long to block his unfair summary from appearing on the South Dakota ballot (and in voter guides).

Long's summary of the initiative is biased and flat-out inaccurate. Among other things, his summary raises the specter of children using marijuana and claims that doctors could be stripped of their licenses for recommending marijuana to patients.

State law requires that the summary be "objective, clear, and simple." And the South Dakota Supreme Court has explained in a previous ruling that "[t]he explanation must be factually accurate, legally accurate, concise, must not address collateral, theoretical or potential consequences of approval or disapproval by voters, must not be a statement of personal opinion, and must not attempt to advocate for or against the ballot question."

Apparently, Attorney General Long chose to ignore his own state's law when drafting the ballot language. Visit http://www.mpp.org/BiasedSDBallotLanguage if you'd like to read the full text of what Long wants to print on the ballot (and in the voter guides that are mailed to voters' homes).

SDMM's polling shows that South Dakota voters support medical marijuana generally â€" and the pending initiative in particular â€" when voters are presented with a clear description of the issue. But the margin of victory is slim enough that the state government's biased language could turn a slight majority win into a loss.

Eight out of eight statewide ballot initiatives to make medical marijuana legal have passed since 1996. (And an additional three states have passed similar laws via their legislatures.) Let's not risk seeing South Dakota become the first state to vote to continue arresting medical marijuana patients.

Will you please help sue the South Dakota government in court? The lawsuit will cost about $25,000. Thank you in advance for anything you can do to help.

Sincerely,

Rob Kampia
Executive Director
Marijuana Policy Project
http://www.mpp.org
Washington, D.C.

P.S. SDMM's lawsuit will likely get a hearing this Thursday, August 17, and we will be sure to keep you updated on its progress. Thank you in advance for your help with this critical lawsuit.