South Dakota tribe plans cannabis legalization meeting

South Dakota tribe plans cannabis legalization meeting

The Yankton Sioux Tribe of South Dakota will hold a general council meeting July 21 to discuss the possibility of legalizing cannabis for medical and social use, as well as hemp manufacturing.

Tribal Chairman Robert Flying Hawk stated in May he is open to legalizing medical cannabis, but not social cannabis, as reported by Yankton Daily Press & Dakotan.

Cannabis is currently illegal for medical and social use in South Dakota, although the Cole Memorandum, established in 2013, allows for tribes to engage in cannabis cultivation and dispensing as long as they follow their respective states’ laws. The Santee Sioux legalized cannabis on tribal land in 2015.

The Yankton Sioux Tribe’s meeting will take place at Fort Randall Casino Bingo Hall near Pickstown.