Statement on the defeat of Measure 29

To our supporters, to our volunteers, to our allies, and to the 189,861 South Dakotans who voted Yes on Initiated Measure 29 – thank you for being a part of this campaign.

We feel great sadness for the South Dakotans who will be arrested for cannabis possession in the future. They will have their lives derailed. They will lose jobs. They will lose scholarships. Some will even lose their freedom. That future injustice, and accompanying societal damage, is what pains us the most at this time.

We are sorry that we failed you on Election Day. We really tried our best. Sadly, it wasn't enough.

We fought hard but we were outspent by an extremely dishonest opposition campaign. It's hard to win when the airwaves are full of lies. This nasty group of prohibitionists have no shame and no integrity. They preach divine values but demonstrate none. They have slandered and maligned and demonized us over and over again.

But we know who we are. We are South Dakotans from all walks of life who believe in freedom and fairness. We care about kids. We care about families. We care about those suffering from addiction and substance abuse issues. We want a society that cares for people instead of punishing them at every opportunity.

If we have proved anything over years, it is this – we, the cannabis reform movement of South Dakota, are a resilient bunch. We've fought at the ballot. We've fought in the legislature. We've fought in court. Yes, there have been some painful defeats. But there have also been many successes, most importantly the medical cannabis program. We created that law. We have defended that law. We have strengthened that law.

And that work will likely continue next year when the South Dakota Legislature gathers in Pierre. We must be ready to defend medical cannabis patients once again.

Don't give up. That's what the bad guys want you to do.

Let's keep fighting for freedom.