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.