Connect with us

Cannabis News

South Dakota Legislative Panel Recommends Tighter Regulations On Medical Marijuana And Hemp Products

Published

7 months ago

on

“This commission, in my opinion, has only made it harder for patients to get access to medical cannabis.”

The A rift between a South Dakota oversight board and the state’s medical marijuana industry It unfolded in Pierre on Tuesday, when the commission passed 11 motions, some of which called for stricter regulations.

The motions were not made public prior to the meeting, and the committee did not take public comment on individual motions. The committee acted on the motions, with four of the 11 members of the group not present.

The intentions of the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee to propose and pass some of the motions were unclear. The motions were not introduced as formal proposals to change the rules or as bills for the legislative session, which begins in January.

The themes of the motions varied widely and included recommendations for stricter regulation of the medical marijuana industry, and intoxicating products sold outside the industry in convenience stores and statements of support or recommendations on smoke shops and other topics.

“I think these are just motions, right?” said Sen. Lauren Nelson, R-Yankton, a committee member. “So some of these motions that passed today may never be heard again. Some of these motions may become bills that one of us, someone else in the Legislature, can carry, and then we can have our debate.”

Medical marijuana industry lobbyist Jeremiah Murphy asked that the minutes reflect that no prior public notice of the motions was given and no public comment was made on the individual motions.

“If you want to just call these ‘motions’, that’s fine,” Murphy said, “But the key is that they’re not considered anything like legislation because they weren’t published beforehand. The bill or resolution has to be published before the hearing.”

The votes ended a combative meeting that was similar in tone to the commission’s previous meeting two weeks ago. That earlier meeting drew industry complaints about a guest speaker list that presented mostly negative views on marijuana.

of the committee membership It consists of four members of parliament and seven non-legislators, including members of the medical, counseling, law enforcement and patient communities. The committee members missing Tuesday were all nonlegislators: Francine Arneson, Kristi Palmer, Andrew Schock and Sioux Falls Police Chief Jon Thum.

At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, the commission took public comments from individuals, each limited to two minutes.

Kittrick Jeffries, of Puffy’s Dispensary in Rapid City, said the panel “was clarifying issues that voters decided five years ago.” South Dakota voters legalized medical marijuana in 2020, and the state implemented the program in 2022. There are 17,137 sick card holders in the state.

“This commission, in my view, has only made it harder for patients to get access to medical cannabis,” Jeffries said.

Emmett Reistroffer, with Genesis Farms Cannabis Company, called the panel a “show committee” and questioned the motivation of Rep. Josephine Garcia, R-Watertown, who said she sponsored unsuccessful legislation earlier this year to repeal the state’s medical marijuana program.

“I don’t think there’s any business running an oversight committee on a program that you publicly opposed in the last legislative session,” Reistroffer said. “Of course you don’t like what I have to say, but I have two minutes. I’m a citizen of the state of South Dakota.”

Because of this, Garcia silenced Reistroffer, but then turned him off.

“You can’t silence a member of the public,” Reistroffer said breaking the silence. The action “further reinforces that it is a show committee.”

Garcia was silent again.

“The reason they gave that knight was for a lot of reasons,” Garcia said. He said they had “things online that were defaming me or what they were doing to me.”

He added: “I think I’ve been fair, more than fair, and it’s just a shame.”

In further public comment, Rep. Travis Ismay, R-Newell, who is not a member of the committee, complained that a state health inspector was seen hugging an industry representative outside the chamber. Ismay was the lead sponsor of the Garcia-sponsored bill to repeal the medical marijuana program, and previously tried to put a repeal initiative on the ballot.

“I don’t think they’re that reliable,” Ismay said of the industry in general.

Health Department Secretary Melissa Magstadt responded that no Health Department inspectors were present at the meeting. Ismay returned to the microphone, saying he “maybe misspoke or something,” claiming that he misidentified the people he saw.

Genesis Farms lobbyist Mitch Richter pointed to a previous board meeting in which Garcia, a physician, said a former patient of his used artificial intelligence to falsify documents to obtain medical marijuana, buy 3 ounces and sell them for $10,000 a week.

Richter said the allegations “do not hold water.”

“If you make $10,000 on 3 ounces of marijuana, I want to talk to you,” said Richter, who also said the commission should be repealed.

Reistroffer told the South Dakota Searchlight that 3 ounces of medical marijuana typically sell for around $600.

Garcia repeatedly defended the commission and himself, saying the panel was still in its oversight mandate and that the actions taken were “just motions.”

“For those who were disrespectful, shame on you,” he said.

Photo by Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Cannabis News

We don’t really deal with a lot of mites because of our IPM program

Published

17 hours ago

on

June 9, 2026

By

Flora Farms Pest Management Program it is built to reduce to nothing depending on the harvestso the plant ends up clean. Luke Allenbrand, Flora Farms’ crop leader, leads an integrated pest management program that focuses on prevention. “We don’t honestly deal with a lot of mites because of the IPM program, because of the predatory mites that we’ve put down as a precaution,” says Luke. “It allows us to have a much cleaner garden in the back half.” Preventative work keeps spray volumes relatively low because the curative side of the program rarely needs to be heavy.

“Actually, we are at the lowest number of these sprays that we have. The milliliters that we are using are numbers that do not exist to be a prevention,” says Luke. “But as soon as you see an uptick of those mites or anything, we bring it up to a therapeutic amount, which is still a small milliliter. And as long as you’re on a fast track with it, you see them disappear within 10 days.” The targets are spider mites, which feed on the plant’s THC and terpene production and degrade the flower.

© Flora Farms

Tested solutions
The three products used by the company are derived from agricultural and food use. “We actually apply about three insecticides that are very common around the agricultural and food grade of these products, using a suite of IPM, Venerate and Grandevo, insecticides that will deal with these mites,” says Luke. The application is intermittent rather than constant. “We usually use a 5-day spray cycle so we can have rest periods in between, so it’s not just a consistent density of that spray,” says Luke. He sees progress against mites in the gaps between the successions.

However, at some point, the spraying stops. “We finish the spray cycle by day 40. We usually don’t want to spray anywhere after day 40. At that point, you’re going to damage the product,” says Luke. “And at that point, we’ll put predatory mites in. It really helps us get to that final push point by day 59, 60 of that harvest. So we actually have a lot less of our spray in that late period. So it’s a much better tasting product.” Predatory mites take over the job of spraying, leaving nothing on the flower.

Biological control
Biological control has two forms. “We usually use them, they’re called crazy mites, and honestly, it’s crazy to see,” says Luke. “Actually, I’ve seen some of the ones in a close-up photo kill a bug, some of the cocoons actually drive away, and even attack the spider mites themselves. Very beneficial. Callias are also slow. They’re little bags that we hang on plants and they’re very beneficial to us.” Different predators work at different speeds, which is why the program runs more than one.

Missouri’s testing regime is the context in which growers operate. Each plant is tested for pest control chemicals and must pass before the product goes ahead. “Other crops and other black market shops or smoke shops in Missouri don’t have to worry about the testing we have to do,” Luke says. “Everything we use here is natural. Each of our pest management is a lot of essential oils that fight these mites. Everything we would put on a plant is food grade.” The test covers foreign chemicals, heavy metals, and anything else that an unregulated supply should never consider.

The whole arc is from biology to chemistry and back to biology. “We go from predatory mites to a food-grade spray regimen, and then back to predatory mites at the end. That way, these plants will have time to finish with no chemicals, nothing,” says Luke. “The rest of that life cycle, about 15 to 20 days, is the most natural it will have. No spraying at all during that, just to push predatory mites off that end, so there’s no residual mite damage on those plants.”

For more information:
Flower Farms
florafarmsmo.com

Continue Reading

Cannabis News

California Bill To Legalize Marijuana Dispensary Drive-Thru Windows Advances In Senate After Clearing Full Assembly

Published

17 hours ago

on

June 9, 2026

By

It has been passed by a California Senate committee and passed by the Assembly bill that would allow marijuana dealers to offer car windows to serve customers.

The measure, which cleared the Senate Business, Careers and Economic Development Committee on a 7-3 vote Monday, says licensed cannabis retailers and micro-businesses with storefronts can sell marijuana products “in a motor vehicle to a customer in a drive-through located on the premises.”

Under Assemblywoman Gail Peller’s (D) AB 2697, cannabis businesses would need permission from the local jurisdictions in which they operate to add a drive-thru.

The sponsor told committee members before the final vote that the bill will “expand access to legal cannabis products while strengthening our ability to compete with the illegal market.”

Annie Aubrey of Chuck’s Wellness Center, a retailer in Placerville, testified that the legislation is “about improving access.”

“A large portion of our customers use cannabis as medicine, including seniors, veterans and people living with chronic conditions that affect mobility, the population that this regulated system seeks to serve,” he said. “For many, even simple tasks like getting out of a vehicle or navigating a retail space can be physically difficult or prohibitive…A drive-thru option removes that barrier, giving patients and consumers access to what they need in a way that’s dignified and consistent with their healthcare needs.”

Amy O’Gorman Jenkins of the California Cannabis Operators Association said the legislation will provide “operational flexibility” in a highly regulated system.

“It doesn’t expand who can access cannabis,” he said. “It allows retailers, with local approval, to serve existing patients and customers more efficiently.”

Jenkins also argued that this measure could improve security.

“Currently, road traction transactions are already allowed. This means that workers regularly have to leave a safe premises while transporting the product, and sometimes they have to deposit cash in parking lots,” he said. “AB 2697 provides an additional mechanism for obtaining product, but requires a fixed and secure transaction point, keeping employees inside and reducing exposure to theft.”

Pellerin, the bill’s sponsor, previously said that “California cannabis retailers lack a common and accessible transaction channel for consumers that so many other retailers in California offer, including fast food, pharmacies, banks and even liquor stores.”

“Cannabis consumers with mobility issues or other disabilities have limited options for obtaining cannabis without having to get out of their vehicles. And while home delivery is legal, there are restrictions on service areas,” he said. “Allowing cannabis sellers to add a secure ride option, if allowed by their local jurisdiction, will improve the consumer experience, increase the security of cannabis sellers and help expand California’s legal cannabis market.”

The California Association of Narcotics Officers opposes the proposal, however, as a representative, Ryan Sherman, testified that it would make it more difficult for dispensary workers to check the IDs of customers who are of legal age or to spot signs of current intoxication at drive-thru windows.

“This bill prioritizes speed of sale over public safety while undermining existing protections designed to prevent illegal sales and protect public safety,” he argued.

Under current policy during the COVID pandemic, dispensaries can already offer street pickup.

The invoice that moving forward in the legislature would mandate that auto sales “be made through a fixed panel security window with a security drawer or similar secure transfer mechanism that is part of a building located within the premises.”

—
It’s Marijuana Time tracking hundreds of cannabis, psychedelic and drug policy bills in state legislatures and Congress this year. Patreon supporters by pledging at least $25/month, you’ll get access to our interactive maps, charts, and audio calendars so you never miss a development.

Learn more about our marijuana bill tracking and become a Patreon supporter to gain access
—

California regulators recently approved emergency rule changes to the state’s marijuana licensing process. to make it easier for companies to receive benefits In line with the Trump administration’s latest move to federally regulate medical cannabis.

While Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) recently He took credit for helping lead the state’s push to legalize marijuana and discussed his limited experience with cannabis use.

In October, however, Newsom vetoed a bill that would have It allowed micro-marijuana companies to ship medicinal cannabis directly to patients Through common carriers like FedEx and UPS, he said the proposal would be “too burdensome and complex to manage.”

Newsom signed a bill earlier this month streamlining research into marijuana and psychedelics.

In September, the governor also signed a measure pause on the recent tax increase on marijuana products.

Separately, the state attorney general says Indian tribes cannot independently participate in the marijuana trade with licensed cannabis businesses without obtaining their own commercial license from state officials.

California officials have recently been rewarded nearly $30 million in grants for marijuana-focused academic research projects.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with the help of readers. If you rely on our pro-cannabis journalism to stay informed, consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Become a patron on Patreon!

Continue Reading

Cannabis News

Concert Series Specials launched for state medical cannabis patients

Published

2 days ago

on

June 8, 2026

By











Post Dispensary, Kentucky’s first medical cannabis dispensary, is connecting with patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Hopkinsville and surrounding areas by aligning unique specials with the region’s summer concert calendar. Located at 300 N Main St. in Beaver Dam, minutes from major highways connecting these vibrant cities.

This summer, The Post Dispensary is offering special pricing and incentives for Concert Series Events at the Beaver Dam Amphitheater, SPARKS in the Park 4th of July celebration and surrounding events, such as Owensboro’s ROMP Festival (June 24-27, 2026). Patients can stop by before or after shows for big savings.

“We’re more than just a booty,” said a dispensary representative. “From Owensboro’s world-class ROMP Festival to Beaver Dam’s Amphitheater events, we’re making it convenient and budget-friendly for patients in Owensboro, Henderson, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Hartford and beyond to combine our love of music with compassionate care and an affordable product.”

The Post Dispensary hosts regular Patient Guidance events on the second Saturday of every month. These units have professionals on hand to assess patients and issue written certificates at low cost, application support and expert consultations in a welcoming environment. The next Patient Drive aligns perfectly with summer travel patterns, making it easy for patients from Owensboro, Bowling Green, Elizabethtown, Madisonville, Henderson, Madisonville and surrounding towns to plan a trip to Beaver Dam that combines care with community and entertainment.

For more information:
Post-Dispensary
thepostdispensary.com/










Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending

Copyright © 2021 The Art of MaryJane Media