The South Dakota Department of Health, South Dakota Department of Education and Gov. Kristi Noem last Thursday launched medcannabis.sd.gov, a website to answer questions and provide information about the upcoming medical cannabis program set to take effect on July 1, 2021.

“One of my jobs as governor is to make sure that the will of the people and all constitutional laws are enforced,” said Gov. Noem. “I want South Dakota to have the best, most patient-focused medical cannabis program in the country. I’ve heard from people who are hurting and are hopeful for relief. My team is 100% committed to starting this program as quickly and as responsibly as possible for South Dakota.”

Medical cannabis will be legal on July 1, 2021, in South Dakota after voters passed Initiated Measure 26 in November 2020. The medical cannabis program is on schedule, according to a press release. The Departments of Health and Education are creating and will operate the new regulatory program to ensure the safety of patients, students and the public in this new industry.

“We are working hard to streamline the process to get medical cards out to people,” continued Gov. Noem. “Other states have made mistakes that we do not want to repeat, so we have been careful in our approach.“

In conjunction with the website, Gov. Noem also launched a public service announcement (PSA) to tell the people of South Dakota where they can find more information about the medical cannabis program. View the PSA.