Press Release – September 30, 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 30, 2022

Contact: 
Matthew Schweich
Campaign Director, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws

Press Release:

Yes on 27 Campaign Opening New Office in Aberdeen

The Campaign to legalize cannabis in South Dakota will open its newest office today (Friday) at 4:00 p.m. CT

Sioux Falls, SD – South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, which is leading the effort to pass Initiated Measure 27, announced today that it is opening a new campaign office in Aberdeen on Friday. The office will be at the same location as the successful petition signing drive-thru events held in April —1812 6th Ave SE, Aberdeen, SD 57401.

The office will be open to supporters and volunteers on Friday, September 30, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. CT and on Saturday, October 1, from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm CT. Regular office hours will be announced soon.

“We’re very excited to open our campaign office in Aberdeen, where we held very successful drive-thru signature gathering events earlier this year,” said Yes on 27 campaign manager Matthew Schweich. “We will use this office for registering new voters, distributing lawn signs, and hosting phone banks.”

To celebrate the opening, a food truck from local business Shagan Pit BBQ will be set up outside the office today at 4:00 pm CT.

The office is being donated to the campaign by Genesis Farms, a medical cannabis business based in Box Elder, SD

“We thank our friends at Genesis Farms for their continued support of our campaign,” said Schweich. “They are playing a critical role by donating all three of our offices in Sioux Falls, Rapid City, and Aberdeen.”

Initiated Measure 27 is the 2022 ballot measure that voters will decide on Election Day, November 8. Measure 27 would legalize personal possession of small amounts of cannabis by adults 21 and older in South Dakota. If approved by voters, the law will take effect on July 1, 2023.

Information on all three campaign offices, including addresses and locations, is available on the campaign’s website: measure27.com/offices

More information about South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws Inc.
With the help of allies, volunteers, donors, and supporters, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws Inc. has been highly effective at reforming South Dakota’s cannabis laws and defending the ballot initiative process since forming in the fall of 2019.

In 2020, we spearheaded the campaign that passed Amendment A (cannabis legalization for adults) and Initiated Measure 26 (medical cannabis legalization) on Election Day.

Following our historic victory, we played a leading role in the grassroots legislative lobbying campaigns in 2021 and 2022 that defended Initiated Measure 26 against attacks by politicians. 

In the fall of 2021, the South Dakota Supreme Court repealed Amendment A in a deeply flawed and unjust ruling. Since then, we have been working to restore the will of the people by legalizing cannabis for a second time. 

From October 2021 to May 2022, we ran the signature drive that successfully qualified a cannabis legalization initiative – now known as Initiated Measure 27 – for the November 8, 2022 ballot.

After that, we joined a coalition of groups campaigning against Amendment C, which was overwhelmingly defeated 33% to 67% in the South Dakota Primary Election on June 7, 2022. Amendment C was a sneak attack on the initiative process by politicians in Pierre and posed a potential legal threat to Measure 27.

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South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws (SDBML) is a registered South Dakota statewide ballot question committee.