PIERRE, S.D.: South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem on Wednesday promised she will honor the will of voters to legalize pot for medical use, just not this year.
The Republican governor announced a plan to delay legalization of medical marijuana until July 1, 2022, saying she did not have enough time to study the issue and implement a program. Medical cannabis was supposed to be legalized on July 1 of this year after voters passed a ballot initiative in November.
The slow-walk was the second setback this week pro-pot groups in the state, after a judge on Monday struck down a voter-passed constitutional amendment that would have legalized recreational pot. Noem, an ardent opponent of recreational pot legalization, had pushed for the lawsuit.
Republican legislative leadership supports Noem’s plan. House Speaker Spencer Gosch unveiled a bill early Wednesday that would delay the voter-passed law, known as Initiated Measure 26, by a year and set up a committee to study implementation. The…