Lawmakers in South Dakota approved a vast majority of proposed medical marijuana industry regulations submitted by the state health department, but they rejected several specific rules that would have restricted the MMJ program.
According to the Associated Press, the state Legislature’s Rules Review Committee on Monday signed off on most of the 124 pages of rules suggested by the South Dakota health secretary but found that the department still has some tweaking left to do.
The rules must be finalized by Oct. 29, per the state medical marijuana legalization law that voters approved last year, and the health department has to be prepared by Nov. 18 to issue MMJ registration cards to patients.
According to Sioux Falls TV station KELO, lawmakers rejected six specific rule proposals:
- A proposed ban on advertising for medical marijuana businesses.
- A suggested mandate that all products delivered to retailers must be prepackaged.
- A proposed list of eight debilitating medical conditions that would qualify patients to register for the MMJ program.
- A 4-gram possession limit for MMJ patients on cannabis extracts with a potency of 60% or greater and a second proposed rule that was similar.
- A limit on home cultivation of three marijuana plants per patient unless more are specifically recommended by a physician.
