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Having A Medical Card in South Dakota Could Make the Rec Market Even Better
South Dakota is among three states voting on recreational cannabis initiatives this November. If this sounds familiar, itâs because this isnât the first time South Dakotans are voting on the issue. Four years ago in 2020, voters approved a Constitutional Amendment to legalize cannabis for adult use, but it was stopped by a lawsuit. In 2022, Initiated Measure 27 (IM 27), was rejected by voters 47% to 53%. Advocates are trying once more in 2024 with Initiated Measure 29 (IM 29), and while we wait with high hopes for the outcome, thereâs one thing you can do to better position yourself for the possibility of a recreational market: get or renew your South Dakota medical card.
Initiated Measure 29 and What It Means
In 2022, South Dakota voters rejected IM 27 which would have legalized recreational marijuana for adults. So, advocates are trying again.
This Election Day, November 5, 2024, South Dakotans will have the opportunity to vote for IM 29 which legalizes â… the possession, use, and distribution of marijuana.â Itâs a vague measure that legalizes adult-use cannabis but leaves the logistics of the recreational program up to the state.
Whether or not the measure passes, having a South Dakota medical card offers consumers serious advantages a recreational program doesnât always cover. Keep reading to learn why you should get your South Dakota medical card regardless of the election and how you can start the process.
Initiated Measure 29 (IM 29)
| What it does | What it doesnât do |
| Legalize the possession, use and distribution of 2 ounces or less of marijuana by people 21 or older. It would also legalize cannabis concentrates. | Set up a legal cannabis market. The word âdistributionâ in the measure only applies to distribution âwithout consideration,â meaning âfor free.â Lawmakers would need to set up a regulatory framework before recreational dispensaries would appear â something they donât have to do. Lawmakers could also set tax rates on cannabis, and would be able to decide what cannabis tax revenue would be used for. |
| Allow those older than 21 to have up to six marijuana plants in their home, with no more than 12 plants in a single household. | Regulate the potency of cannabis or place health and safety testing requirements on cannabis products. As with a retail market framework and any accompanying tax scheme, health and safety regulations would come through legislative action. |
| According to the state Legislative Research Council, repealing South Dakotaâs prohibition on small amounts of marijuana through IM 29 would save counties $581,556 a year in enforcement and incarceration costs. | Expunge previous marijuana convictions. Under the South Dakota Constitution, only the governor can grant executive clemency to a person convicted of a crime, and the state Board of Pardons and Paroles screens most clemency requests. Those with marijuana convictions could apply for a pardon, but lawmakers couldnât offer blanket clemency without changing the state constitution to allow it. |
Why You Should Still Get Your South Dakota Medical Card Even If Rec Passes
The perks of having your medical card in a recreational state are worth the paperwork. Not only can it save you money, it can increase and improve your access to different products and consumption methods.
A Medical Card Gives You Access to Cannabis Now
If IM 29 passes, the recreational program wonât take effect until July 2025, which means South Dakota consumers likely wonât have access to adult-use cannabis until 2025. With a South Dakota medical card, you have access to the stateâs medical dispensaries now and can purchase three ounces of cannabis flower or equivalent amounts of concentrates, edibles, vapes, etc. every 14 days. And youâre protected under law to have it.
A Medical Card Could Save You Money
Like other states, South Dakotaâs recreational marijuana program will come with its own tax structure, one that has the potential to be pretty steep. There are different types of taxes that states choose to levy on cannabis, including percentage-of-price taxes (i.e. ad valorem tax), weight-based taxes, potency-based taxes, and/or an excise tax, though thatâs usually just a percentage-of-price tax.
Across the country, recreational cannabis taxes range from 7 percent to nearly 40 percent. Members of medical programs, however, are often exempt from these taxes. Meaning, if you have your South Dakota medical card, you likely wonât have to pay as much in taxes at checkout as those without a medical card will once recreational use rolls out.
Apply For Your Medical Marijuana Card Online Today!
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A Medical Card Could Exempt You From THC Caps
At this point, Vermont is the only state with THC potency limits on recreational cannabis, allowing for up to 30 percent THC in flower and 60 percent in solid concentrates. They donât, however, have any caps on products for medical marijuana patients.
A THC cap initiative has already been tried and struck down once in South Dakota, so itâs possible it could happen again. Being a patient in South Dakotaâs medical marijuana program could potentially offer you exemption from any THC limits that might come out of recreational legislation as it does for patients in Vermont.
A Medical Card Could Allow You Access to Cannabis in Non-Recreational States
One thing a lot of medical programs have that no recreational programs do is reciprocity. That means if you have your medical card in one state, say South Dakota, you can use it in other medical states, so you still have access to your medicine even if the state youâre visiting doesnât have an adult-use market.
How To Get Your South Dakota Medical Marijuana Card
Qualifying conditions for South Dakotaâs medical marijuana program include:
Getting your South Dakota medical marijuana card is quick and easy with My Marijuana Cards. To secure your card, follow these four simple steps.
1) Book Your Doctorâs Appointment
We make this process super easy for you. Click here to book your appointment online or call us at (877) 783-1805 to schedule an appointment with one of our state-licensed doctors.
Itâs best to go into the appointment with medical proof or documentation of your qualifying condition, such as medical records, office visit summaries, or an official letter from a physician declaring your diagnosis. If you lack medical documentation, give us a call and we can schedule you with a doctor to diagnose your illness, followed by a doctor who can confirm your program eligibility. We donât charge extra for the diagnostic.
2) Fill Out Your Intake Form
After you schedule your appointment, youâll be invited to fill out intake forms in preparation for your visit with the doctor. These forms only take about five minutes to fill out, and theyâre required to be completed before you can meet with the doctor.
3) Meet With a Doctor
Your visit is a brief 10-15 examination to determine whether or not you qualify for a South Dakota medical card. We have a 99 percent acceptance record and an unconditional money-back promise!
4) Complete State Application
Once our doctor authorizes you for the program, theyâll create a patient certification for you in the stateâs patient portal. After they do that, youâll receive an automatic email from
noreply@sd.airlift.app that will walk you through the steps for making your account with the program. If you donât see the email (remember to check your spam folder!), you can always go to medcannabisapplication.sd.gov to start the patient application process.
Election Day is right around the corner. The race is predicted to be a tight one, so we need every South Dakota citizen in favor of recreational marijuana to show up to the polls and vote YES on Initiated Measure 27. Find out where you can vote here.
While youâre waiting for the results and the program to take root, start your medical marijuana card application process so you can still have legal access to cannabis in South Dakota.
