In a small hurdle on the way to legalization, a prickly South Dakotan Judge overruled the voters of the state due to a little technicality.
In November, South Dakota voted in favor of legal marijuana, along with Montana, Arizona, and New Jersey (although New Jersey is also having some trouble enacting on this as well).
But with progressive change comes rigid resistance, and Judge Christina Klinger sided with a superintendent of the State Highway Patrol who brought up a case against the amendment. The pro-legalization activists “fail[ed] to submit Amendment A through the proper constitutional process,” according to Judge Klinger.
Apparently in the state, constitution amendments may only concern one subject at a time, and this legalization amendment includes both hemp and marijuana. It’s a small error and something easily fixed, so the technical hurdles brought forth by the anti-legalization side in the state will be no match for time.
Medicinal marijuana, which was also approved by voters, was not affected by this ruling.
