Pubdate: Mon, 21 Mar 2005
Source: Aberdeen American News (SD)
Copyright: 2005 Aberdeen American News
Contact:  http://www.aberdeennews.com/mld/aberdeennews/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1484
Author: Associated Press
Cited: South Dakotans for Safe Access http://www.sodaksafeaccess.org/
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Cannabis - Medicinal)

VOTE ON MEDICAL MARIJUANA BEING PROPOSED

PIERRE, S.D. - Robert Newland said he is preparing a ballot initiative
for South Dakota voters on whether marijuana use should be allowed for
medical purposes.

A bill to legalize medical marijuana died 11-1 in a House committee
during this year's legislative session.

In Montana last November, voters approved the Medical Marijuana Act,
which protects registered patients and their caregivers from local and
state prosecution.

"When I saw that Montana did it, I decided to start a campaign in
South Dakota," said Newland, of Hermosa. "There is no question we can
get the signatures in fairly short order. The fact is, medical use has
never failed on an initiative."

Newland, who ran for attorney general as a Libertarian candidate in
2002, supported an unsuccessful attempt to legalize industrial hemp
that year. He has until May 2006 to file petitions containing 16,728
valid signatures to put the medical marijuana proposal on the November
2006 ballot.

He can expect strong opposition from Attorney General Larry Long's
office if his proposal reaches the ballot. A spokesman for Long said
the office's position is contained in statements made at a legislative
hearing by Charles McGuigan, an assistant attorney general.

"We are in opposition to any plan to legalize marijuana in any form,
whether it is medical marijuana or industrial hemp or any other
concoction that would give credence to this substance," McGuigan said
then. "Marijuana is not scheduled as a controlled substance, but
marijuana use and possession is illegal and is a crime."

South Dakota's Criminal Code Revision Commission considered, but
rejected, a medical marijuana proposal last summer.

Rep. Gerald Lange, D-Madison, sponsored the failed medical marijuana
bill in the Legislature. The patient's physician would have been
required to say that the beneficial impact of marijuana use for a
patient would outweigh risks.

"There's a nausea effect in a lot of medicine, where marijuana doesn't
cause this kind of side effect," Lange said.

Ten states have some form of medical marijuana law.
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MAP posted-by: Richard Lake