Still Trying in South Dakota
According to Sioux Falls South Dakota news, Argus Leader, “The Court concluded that Amendment A contained at least three different subjects: Legalization of recreational marijuana for those 21 and older; medical marijuana, and a commandment that the Legislature create a regulatory scheme for cannabis. Because the amendment was so far reaching, the Court concluded that voters might vote in favor of some portions even though they opposed other portions, a concept known as “logrolling.”” https://www.argusleader.com/story/news/2021/11/24/south-dakota-supreme-court-recreational-cannabis-amendment-legal-medical-marijuana/7612329002/
Chief Justice Steven Jensen of the South Dakota Supreme Court wrote in the majority opinion, “It is also problematic that it appears from submissions in the record that the drafters of Amendment A folded the additional subjects of hemp and medical marijuana into this single amendment to aggregate votes and increase the chances for passage of the provisions legalizing and regulating recreational marijuana.”
Medical marijuana became legalized by ballot in the great agricultural state in November of 2020, and the law became active in July 2021.
Missouri's Progress
Jeff Mizanskey wrote in the December 2021 Times piece how he was charged and jailed for various marijuana offenses from archaic laws in his home state dating back to 1984, and how his latest sentence was commuted after legislation began being pushed through to relieve hard marijuana sentences.
Flash forward to 2018 when medical marijuana became legal in the state of Missouri with restrictions. At the end of November 2021 lawmakers in the state decriminalized possession and cultivation of weed in the state. There is a recent push to legalize recreational pot in the state as of December 2021.
Mizanskey wrote about the continued process to proceed with the state weed laws: “Coupled with tight restrictions on commercial marijuana licensing, Missouri might continue to see a two-tiered system of justice and economic opportunity, where a privileged wealthy few are allowed to profit from legal marijuana sales while poor and politically weak Missourians continue to be sanctioned for the proposed crime of possessing too much marijuana.”
To read Jeff Mizanskey’s take visit: https://www.riverfronttimes.com/WeedNews/2021/12/09/jeff-mizanskey-missouri-lawmakers-must-take-action-to-legalize-marijuana
Pot Gives Jobs
““In terms of jobs, it is clearly the counties with the recreational dispensaries that benefited most after Colorado legalized adult-use cannabis,” study co-author Avinandan Chakraborty, of the University of New Mexico, said in a press release.”” https://www.marijuanamoment.net/allowing-legal-marijuana-dispensaries-boosts-employment-rates-in-colorado-counties-study-finds/
The study published in November 2021 stated: “Using county-level Colorado data from 2011 to 2018 and exploiting variation across counties in the existence and timing of the start of dispensary sales, we test for changes in the unemployment rate, employment, and wages, overall and by industry subsector. Consistent with an increase in labor demand, we estimate that the sale of recreational cannabis through dispensaries is associated with a 0.7 percentage point decrease in the unemployment rate with no effect on the size of the labor force.:
To read the full study visit: https://www.sciendo.com/article/10.2478/izajole-2021-0005
What About Rhode Island?
Rhode Island - With just about every state in the east coast with legalized marijuana Rhode Island is still debating on freeing the weed. The current laws in the state include legalized medical marijuana and pot is decriminalized there as well.
Providence news, WPRI, reported this past fall on how legislation was being pursued to legalize recreational pot.
Government leaders are agreeing on the legalization law but are working on the specifics of who will oversee, regulate, and issue the recreational licenses. The current medical marijuana program is being regulated by the Department of Business Regulation.
According to the Providence report, “Senate President Dominick Ruggerio said in an interview last month the negotiators were “very close” to agreement, but not quite there yet.” https://www.wpri.com/news/politics/ri-leaders-close-to-consensus-on-legalizing-cannabis/
Also, as stated in the article, State Senator Josh Miller said, “…all parties in the negotiations have also agreed to include expungement of marijuana crimes in any legislation, though the specifics of which crimes would be expunged and what the process would be is still being worked out. A social equity component to licensing is also expected to be included.”
