South Dakota Department of Health rolls out medical marijuana ID card application
After several months of feedback and planning, the South Dakota Department of Health has their application portal for medical marijuana ID cards open.
PIERRE, S.D. - After several months of back and forth, the state of South Dakota officially has it’s medicinal marijuana program up and running.
According to a release by the Department of Health, the individual to receive the first ID card in the state was located in Jones County.
“We have the ability to print cards at pretty much any level they come in right now,” said Geno Adams, the Department’s Cannabis Program Administrator. Adams was hired in June to help put the program in place.
The program has been fine tuned over the course of the last several months, particularly following hours of public testimony. However, much work still needs to be done as it relates to who is growing, transporting, testing, and selling the product.
“The establishment application process is open now, there are establishment applications coming in,” Adams said. “The next kind of big hurdle for the process is getting those applications reviewed and certified so those businesses can get up and running.”
Many medical marijuana activists say that coordination with the state on the rollout has gone relatively well, but there is still so much uncertainty surrounding how to get a medical marijuana business off the ground that they hope will be cleared up in the coming months.
“I think the biggest challenge is just that it is going to take a while for the businesses to get started,” said Ned Horsted, Executive Director of the Cannabis Industry Association of South Dakota. “Everyone is going through the licensing process, they have a big decision to make. It takes a lot of capital to put something together, it is a real risk to build a building, and put all that money in before knowing whether or not you’re going to receive a licenses from the state or locality.”
Despite places being built to grow the product and the ID card rollout, the state legislature has already indicated that they will take up some of the specifics around the medical marijuana program next legislative session.
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