Last fall, the South Dakota Attorney General’s Office prosecuted five smoke shops in our state for illegally selling intoxicating hemp products in packages designed to look like candy. These products became illegal in South Dakota after the legislature passed HB 1125. My Republican and Democratic colleagues and I overwhelmingly supported the bill because we recognize the danger these products pose to our constituents, especially children. As a former police chief, I have witnessed firsthand the harm these products inflict on families and communities.
Intoxicating hemp-derived products entered the market after Congress passed the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized industrial hemp by removing it and its derivatives from the federal list of Schedule I controlled substances. The intent of this legislation was to reclassify hemp as an ordinary farm crop, which would allow farmers to legally cultivate hemp and develop markets for hemp products such as textiles, paper, oils, building materials and plastics.
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