© 2025 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY
WEDW-FM · WNPR · WPKT · WRLI-FM
Public Files Contact · ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

South Dakota Residents Still Can't Buy Marijuana

ASMA KHALID, HOST:

South Dakota voters surprised the country when they voted to legalize medical and recreational marijuana last November. But nine months later, South Dakotans still cannot purchase legal cannabis. One person standing in the way is Republican Governor Kristi Noem, who often markets her state as a home for freedom. South Dakota Public Broadcasting's Lee Strubinger has this report.

LEE STRUBINGER, BYLINE: Bill Stocker is not your typical marijuana reform advocate. He retired from both the Marine Corps and the Sioux Falls Police Department.

BILL STOCKER: I have 37 years in uniform. And I am a disabled veteran.

STRUBINGER: Stocker says law enforcement is stretched too thin, that it shouldn't be focused on marijuana. Instead, he says law enforcement should focus on heavily addictive drugs.

STOCKER: Fentanyl is the problem, not marijuana.

STRUBINGER: Stocker says that's why he supports marijuana legalization for South Dakotans and for himself.

STOCKER: I pay my taxes. I'm a registered voter. I do my due diligence. I'm a patriot. I have pain. I don't want to do opioids.

STRUBINGER: Stocker says the only thing that takes care of his pain is marijuana in the form of edibles. And he was counting on that after voters approved placing medical and recreational marijuana legalization into the state constitution, a cause he campaigned for.

But South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem, a nationally rising Republican star, has been resistant to cannabis reform since she took office, including opposing industrial hemp legalization during her first two years. Stocker voted for Noem when she ran for governor in 2018. And he says he's disappointed she's come between voters like him and marijuana legalization.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

KRISTI NOEM: I don't think anybody got smarter smoking pot.

STRUBINGER: And she's backing a lawsuit to overturn the voter-approved measure on constitutional grounds. The case is awaiting a state Supreme Court decision. Noem has said the state's voters made a bad decision when approving the constitutional amendment. But a majority of Americans are not on Noem's side. According to a recent Pew Research survey, 60% of Americans say marijuana should be legal for medical and recreational use.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

CHUCK SCHUMER: Even South Dakota, one of the most conservative states in America - a majority voted to legalize adult recreational use of marijuana.

STRUBINGER: That national support is something that U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer hopes to capitalize on. He's pushing to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.

(SOUNDBITE OF ARCHIVED RECORDING)

SCHUMER: If South Dakota can do it, the Senate should be able to do it.

STRUBINGER: Fifty-five percent of South Dakota voters voted in favor of legalizing recreational pot in 2020. In 2018, it was just 51% of voters who voted to elect Kristi Noem for governor. A lot has changed since she first ran, including her increased stature following her hands-off approach to the coronavirus pandemic. Noem has lost at least one vote in retired police officer Bill Stocker.

STOCKER: I will not vote for her. Matter of fact, if there is a good candidate running against her in '22, I will not only support that candidate. I will actively campaign for that candidate.

STRUBINGER: No one has announced a challenge to Governor Noem yet. But it's safe to assume cannabis will be a major part of their platform. For NPR News, I'm Lee Strubinger in Rapid City. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Lee Strubinger is SDPB’s Rapid City-based news and political reporter. A former reporter for Fort Lupton Press (CO) and Colorado Public Radio, Lee holds a master’s in public affairs reporting from the University of Illinois-Springfield.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT is an initiative from Connecticut Public, the state’s local NPR and PBS station, to elevate Latino stories and expand programming that uplifts and informs our Latino communities. Visit CTPublic.org/latino for more stories and resources. For updates, sign up for the SOMOS CONNECTICUT newsletter at ctpublic.org/newsletters.

SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.