Voter support is trailing for the South Dakota ballot initiative to legalize adult-use cannabis, according to a recent survey conducted by Emerson College, KELOLAND Media, and The Hill.
Poll results for Initiated Measure 29, which seeks to legalize the personal possession and cultivation of cannabis for adults aged 21 and older, found 50% of voters planning to oppose the measure, with 45% in favor and 5% undecided.
According to Emerson College Polling’s executive director Spencer Kimball, support for the initiative was highest among younger voters, with 68% of people under 30 in favor. Voters older than 70 were the most opposed, with 64% against.
IM 29 will be the third cannabis legalization initiative posed to South Dakota voters in as many elections but, unlike the previous measures, IM 29 focuses only on legalizing for personal use and would not legalize cannabis sales. Supporters of the measure said they hope lawmakers will legislate rules for a regulated cannabis market if the initiative passes.
In 2022, South Dakota rejected a cannabis legalization initiative with 53% of voters opposing the measure. Two years earlier, however, voters approved two cannabis initiatives in the state — one to legalize medical cannabis, which passed with 70% support, and one to legalize both medical and recreational cannabis, which was approved by 54% of voters. However, the adult-use measure faced legal challenges and was eventually overruled by the Supreme Court for violating the state’s single subject clause for ballot initiatives.
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