Take Action: Tell Them to Vote No on South Dakota Bill HB 1055

Key takeaways and how you can help:

• This week, the South Dakota House Health and Human Services Committee will vote to clear House Bill 1055 (HB 1055) that would require patients to obtain two separate doctor approvals in order to qualify for a medical cannabis card.
  
• You can stop this legislation. Contact the Health Committee members via phone and email to vote against HB 1055 and demand they keep patient access to medical marijuana.
  
•  The email address and phone numbers to the Health Committee members are below for you to take action before it’s too late.

We need your help once more! The South Dakota medical marijuana program has been functioning successfully for four years, yet every year we must fight to protect patient access. The South Dakota House Health and Human Services Committee is reviewing HB 1055 this week, Thursday, January 23rd, a bill that would make it harder for patients to access medical marijuana by requiring two doctors to sign off on your ability to qualify.

If this sounds familiar, it’s because HB1055 is essentially a repackaged version of HB 82, the harmful legislation we successfully defeated last year with your help. Unfortunately, it’s back, and we need to stop it again.

Requiring two doctor approvals would create unnecessary burdens for patients who already face enough challenges. Let’s stand together again to protect patients’ access to medical marijuana.

If passed HB 1055 would:

• Require Two Doctor Approvals: This legislation would force patients to obtain two separate doctor approvals to qualify for a medical marijuana card, doubling financial expenses, time, and effort for patients.
• Violates Patient Privacy Protections: Contradicts existing state law and HIPAA by proposing an additional registry of South Dakota medical marijuana cardholders. This unnecessary registry puts patients’ privacy and sensitive data at risk, despite being already protected under current laws.
• Unfairly Penalizes Practitioners: Seeks to criminally penalize doctors who legally qualify patients for medical marijuana, creating unnecessary fear and barriers for healthcare providers.

Call to Action: How you can help now!

Your voice matters! Contact the committee members today and help ensure patients continue to receive the care they need.

Thank you for taking action. Together, we can make a difference.

House Health and Human Services Committee Members