As reported by Ganjapreneur, South Dakota’s Republican governor, Kristi Noem, vetoed a bill that would have raised the amount of THC permissible for unprocessed industrial hemp from 0.3% to 5%. The proposed legislation sought to redefine the definition of “product in process,” allowing hemp products and crops in the state to contain more than 16 times the amount of THC permitted by federal standards.
The veto statement issued by Governor Noem stated that consumer products could not exceed 5% THC, while hemp must be transported between processors in containers labeled “not for human consumption”.
“Only two states allow a product in process to contain up to 5% THC: Colorado and New York, both of which have legalized recreational marijuana. South Dakota voters spoke clearly this past November: they do not want recreational marijuana. If I allowed this bill to become law, it would jeopardize the clearly expressed will of the people. Increasing the THC level to 5% would hinder our successful hemp program and undermine enforcement of our drug laws.” — The veto statement from Noem
Although the bill passed the House with enough votes to override any veto, it did not receive approval from two-thirds of senators, totaling only 21 votes.
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