More tribal Nations across the United States are implementing legal Congress laws. The most recent tribes to approve regulations are the Sioux Falls City Council and Lincoln County Commission. 

On Tuesday, August 24, tribal communities leaders announced that they had approved joint zoning regulations for medical cannabis facilities to open in their joint jurisdictional location. 

The approved rules included a handful of amendments that, due to worries regarding the timeframe in which the law’s could be formulated, were voted against.

About Sioux Falls City Council and Lincoln County Commission’s joint zoning rules for medical cannabis

The updated zoning regulations enable medical cannabis dispensaries to launch for business. In addition to this, the rules clearly state that cultivation, testing and manufacturing facility can also open its doors, so long as they are located 1,000 feet from churches/religious institutions, public parks, single-family home residences and public service facilities. 

Rules laid out by the Sioux Falls City Council and Lincoln County Commission also stipulate that medical cannabis establishments should be spaced 1,000 feet from one another. However, multiple establishments could be clustered together at a single location.

Unsatisfied with the 1,000-foot rule, Commissioner Joel Arends, amended all other from-school distances in the ordinance to 500 feet.

Several commissioners were displeased with Sioux Falls City Council and Lincoln County Commission’s joint zoning rules

Medical cannabis became legal in South Dakota on July 1, following the successful passing of Initiated Measure 26, which was approved by voters in November 2020. 

Although the state is required to publicize the official medical cannabis rules no later than October 29, this looks set to happen ahead of schedule, with the city and county indicating that they will be promulgating the rules On October 4. 

According to Paul Bengford, who is associated with the city attorney’s office, any type of amendment(s) would make it tricky to submit the finalized rules by October 4. Why? Because the regulations likely underwent a “substantial change” to the extent that members of the public would not have been alerted to in time.

Consequently, Bengford said that another hearing would have needed to take place. What’s more, the publication dates for each newspaper and print publication that the ordinances must be featured in are likely to vary; thus making it difficult to accomplish goals in the chosen timeframe.