PIERRE, S.D. (KELO.com) — Governor Kristi Noem reiterates her opposition to legalizing industrial hemp in the state.
And she chose a major national publication to do it in–She had an op-ed published in the Wall Street Journal.
She says she’ll veto legislation in 2020 approving industrial hemp, just as she did in this year’s legislative session.
She says other states are having law enforcement issues with hemp and its relative, marijuana.
Below is the Governor’s news release on her continuing opposition to legalizing industrial hemp.
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PIERRE, S.D. – In case you missed it, the Wall Street Journal today published an opinion piece written by Governor Kristi Noem entitled “Why I Won’t Support Legalizing Hemp.”
“When I was sworn in as South Dakota’s governor in January, opposing industrial hemp and marijuana legalization weren’t on my list of key issues. But during the first legislative session of my tenure, I vetoed a measure to legalize industrial hemp. If the issue comes up this year, I will veto it again,” Noem writes.
Noem reiterates her concerns that legalizing industrial hemp legalizes marijuana, evidenced by other states like Texas, where hundreds of marijuana cases have been dropped, or Ohio, where law enforcement officers have stated that distinguishing between hemp and marijuana is “not possible.”
“Every experiment needs a control. I believe the social experiment our nation is conducting with highly potent legal weed will end poorly. But to create evidence for a comparison, we need leaders willing to stand up and say, ‘No,’” Noem concludes.
