Protecting SD Kids brings anti-marijuana talk to Aberdeen, opponents dismiss most claims

A grassroots organization is rallying against an initiated measure that seeks to legalize recreational marijuana for South Dakotans who are 21 and older.

Initiative Measure 27 will be on the ballot Nov. 8. A yes vote is for legalizing recreational marijuana. A no vote is against it.

Representatives for Protecting South Dakota Kids spoke in Aberdeen Thursday at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The event included information from James Kinyon, chairman of Protecting South Dakota Kids; Kristi "Cricket" Palmer; and retired Missouri highway patrolman Ed Moses.

Moses kicked off the presentation with a host of statistics in rapid-fire succession. They warned of a variety of issues that come with legalizing marijuana, including:

• Increases in teen marijuana use.

• Increased occurrences of scromiting, or scream vomiting, which as been an issue in other states.

• Changes in brain function with the long-term use of marijuana.

Moses also discussed numerous concerns about marijuana being considered a medicine and medical applications, but the measure before voters in next month is to legalize recreational use. Medical use is already legal after being approved by voters two years ago.

"Children are not protected with this," Moses said.

He said use of marijuana targets specific receptors in the brain and alters the receptor that changes the frontal lobe, the cerebellum (for speed and thinking process) and the hippocampus (memory).

"It can cause a permanent drop in intelligence," Moses said. "It also interferes with the exchange of information between neurons."

Moses noted studies that reveal a reduction in IQ with the use of marijuana. A report in Scientific American not only highlights a study that shows reduced IQ, but also another study on identical twins that found drops in intelligence could be the result of other environmental or demographic factors or behaviors like drinking and nicotine use. That article concluded by noting that research on the topic continues.

He also discussed increased instances of psychosis and mental health disorders for people who use marijuana, sharing an article from Truth Press, a right-leaning website, about European data. It shows a five-fold increase in first-episode psychoses with the use of high-potency THC.

THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, is the chemical in marijuana responsible for most of the drug's psychological effects.

As for instances of scromiting, Moses said, more cases are appearing at hospitals and, once someone experiences one, they can't use marijuana products again.

But, according to an article on the Good RX website, scromiting happens with heavy users. Also called cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, scromiting is intense, painful vomiting, and discontinuing marijuana use alleviates the symptoms. According to the Good RX report, it takes a long time to develop and consuming high amounts of THC can cause the problem.

While IM 27 is for people 21 and older, Moses noted statistics showing parents are the third-highest source of marijuana for school-age children and expressed concerns about its addictive properties.

Discussion at the gathering also included warnings that approving IM 27 would amend the state's constitution, which is difficult to reverse.

"If it goes in the constitution, it's guaranteed for two years, but probably 100 because it's very difficult (to change the state constitution)," District 3 Sen. Al Novstrup, R-Aberdeen, said.

But not everybody agrees. The measure does not propose changes to the constitution, rather to state law, proponents of IM 27 say.

If recreational marijuana legalized, legislature would set sales rules

In a phone interview with the American News following the event, Matthew Schweich, campaign manager for the yes campaign on IM 27, said while approval of the measure would leglalize recreational marijuana, the state legislature would draft the laws about sales.

"We don't create an industry. We make it legal," he said. "Find me one person in the state that says the South Dakota Legislature is going to pass relaxed legislation for edibles."

While opponents of the measure expressed concerns about product packaging appealing to kids, Schweich said he doesn't want that, either. He said he supports strict regulations on packaging and advertising.

Schweich also dismissed most of the arguments presented by opposition as emotional and anecdotal, but he did make concessions about the health risks of marijuana.

"Cannabis can have negative affects in the long term, but it's less harmful than alcohol. You can't die from cannabis poisoning," he said.

When it comes to the violent disturbances and domestic cases, the majority deal with alcohol, not cannabis, Schweich said.

The initiated measure is an opportunity to eliminate the criminalization of small amounts of possession and restore the will of the voters, who approved an effort to legalize it in 2020, he said.

Palmer, who spoke briefly before Kinyon, emphasized that marijuana is still illegal federally, which means use by someone in the military can mean dishonorable discharge. There are also other consequences in federal marijuana laws.

Opponents of marijuana measure worry about children, families

Kinyon, who is also executive director for Catholic Social Services, appealed to South Dakotans who want to build strong families.

"This is about what we do and we have a decision to make about our families, our communities and our kids," he said.

Kinyon said Protecting South Dakota Kids grew out of concern from people who work in the mental health system and see the youth who are already struggling with mental health.

"The challenges our kids and families are facing are unbelievable," he said. "We can't afford to add any more weight to the system. These kids need us to be the adults in the room."

Kinyon said efforts to legalize marijuana were defeated in 2006 and 2010 and, although a constitutional amendment was approved by voters in 2020, it was flawed and overturned by the South Dakota Supreme Court.

The justices overturned the amendment because it went against a requirement that constitutional amendments deal with just one subject. It passed with 54% support two years ago. The move to void the result of the vote was led by Gov. Kristi Noem and the court arguments focused on technicalities within the amendment.

"There's not a single thing we can do to double the use rate of our kids other than pass this regulation," Kinyon said, echoing a warning issued by Moses.

Kinyon said right now, 5.1% of youth use marijuana.

"In two years, that rate will double," he said. "That's not good for our kids or our community."

But, supporters of IM 27 note recent studies in Washington and Colorado showing decreases in the number of teens who use marijuana. Both studies were done in 2021.

In Colorado, where students were asked if they had used marijuana in the past 30 days, 13.3% of high-schoolers said yes. That's down from 20.6% in 2019. Marijuana has been legal in Colorado since 2012, and survey results show high school use has stayed between 19.7% and 21.2% in teen use surveys.

At the end of the gathering, one final announcement was made noting President Joe Biden's decision Thursday to issue pardons for federal convictions of marijuana possession. Moses said that those people were convicted of possessing large amounts of marijuana.

Specifics of the pardon issued Thursday show that pardons are limited to those convicted of simple marijuana possession and not other criminal charges. The possession amounts vary. According to a 2016 report by the U.S. Sentencing Commission, federal simple marijuana possession charges can be the result of having less than an ounce or several pounds. The instances with higher possession amounts were from arrests at the U.S./Mexico border, per the report.

Both sides have campaign websites. Protecting South Dakota Kids' is at protectingsdkids.com. Supporters of IM 27 are at measure27.com. The pro-IM 27 group also has a campaign office in Aberdeen at 1812 Sixth Ave. S.E., which is open Fridays and Saturdays from 4 to 7 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Initiated Measure 27 opponents discuss marijuana legalization concerns