Out-of-state cash dries up for pro-pot group ahead of recreational marijuana vote

South Dakota voters will have a chance to again decide a ballot measure aimed at legalizing marijuana for adult use in their state when they head to the polls Nov. 8. (Joe Sneve / The Dakota Scout)

The organization that’s been pushing for the past three years to legalize cannabis in South Dakota isn’t getting much help from outside of the state.

Campaign finance reports filed this week by South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) show the campaign committee raised about a half million dollars in support of Initiated Measure 27, the ballot measure that would end South Dakota’s long-held prohibition on recreational marijuana use for adults.

And while that’s about $60,000 more than the opposition took in – Protecting South Dakota Kids reported $427,000 in campaign contributions ahead of Monday’s filing deadline – the fundraising total for SDBML pales in comparison to what it raised leading up to the 2020 election, when voters passed Constitutional Amendment A.

And that’s because the $1 million-plus the committee raised from out-of-state political action committees and national cannabis philanthropists in 2020 hasn’t materialized this time around. SDBML reported a mere $1,000 from out-of-state entities.

NEWS: Anti-pot coalition waging heavier campaign against recreational marijuana in S.D. this time around