NEW: Schoenbeck says special session could be called to address marijuana issues in South Dakota (Audio)

March 18, 2021
Mike Tanner

WATERTOWN, S.D.–A northeast South Dakota lawmaker says a special legislative session could be in the works to deal with marijuana in the state—both medical and recreational.

Republican Lee Schoenbeck of Watertown is the Senate Pro Tempore. Here’s what he told KWAT News today about the prospects of a special session….

The voter-approved initiated measure on medical marijuana called for an implementation date of July 1st. There was talk during the session of delaying it until January 1st, or even July 1st of next year, but those talks died in a conference committee. 

Schoenbeck says rather than focusing on an implementation date, it’s most important to do it right….

The passage of a constitutional amendment on recreational marijuana in South Dakota is being challenged in court.

Schoenbeck says if  there’s a special session, he believes it will be all-encompassing,  to talk about both medical and recreational forms of the drug…

Lawmakers return to Pierre March 29th to officially wrap up this year’s session, and consider overriding any gubernatorial vetoes.