The Ogala Sioux Tribe approved a referendum March 10 to legalize medical and adult-use cannabis on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, according to an AP News report.
The official results of the vote will be certified by the end of the month, the news outlet reported, but according to results announced March 11, the medical cannabis legalization measure passed with 82% approval and the adult-use measure passed with 74% approval.
The tribe is the first to establish a regulated cannabis market in the state, where both medical and adult-use cannabis remain illegal. Earlier this year, South Dakota became the first state to place medical and adult-use legalization measures on the same ballot, leaving voters to decide on statewide legalization this November.
The tribal council will take up cannabis legalization March 31 and will work to enact laws to regulate cannabis within the tribe’s jurisdiction, according to AP News. The tribe will not take ownership of cannabis production or retail outlets, according to its initial plans, but will instead license individuals and levy a retail tax on cannabis sales, the news outlet reported.
