South Dakotans change course, reject marijuana legalization in 2022 election

Opposition group claims victory amid slow vote counting in Minnehaha County

Marijuana possession, cultivation and use will remain a criminal act in South Dakota.

South Dakotans reversed course from the 2020 election cycle and instead narrowly rejected Initiated Measure 27 Tuesday, a ballot question that aimed to end the state’s long-standing prohibition of the cannabis plant.

The final tally had IM-27 failing with only 47 percent of voters favoring the ballot measure.

The outcome marks a major victory for the South Dakota public safety establishment, which campaigned aggressively to defeat the proposal after a similar measure earned passage two years ago before being struck down in court.

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