Cannabis industry is major funder of South Dakota pot legalization ballot question

Another look at ballot measure fundraising in South Dakota from the South Dakota Searchlight. 

Marijuana industry is major funder of legalization ballot question
by Joshua Haiar

Both sides take in big checks from individuals, businesses

Representatives of the cannabis industry contributed over $300,000 since last spring toward the Nov. 5 South Dakota ballot measure that would legalize a limited form of adult marijuana use, according to campaign finance reports. 

Meanwhile, on the anti-marijuana side, more than 100 people gave individual donations totaling more than $370,000. 

The largest of those was $61,400 from Brad Wheeler, who owns Wheeler Manufacturing in Lemmon. The next biggest contribution against the measure was $50,000 from South Dakota Hall of Famer Robert Mudge, co-founder of RPM and Associates in Rapid City.

There are no limits on contributions to ballot question committees.

Initiated Measure 29 would legalize the possession, use and free distribution of up to 2 ounces of marijuana for adults 21 and older. It’s one of seven statewide ballot questions under consideration by South Dakotans.

In all, about $915,000 was raised for and against the marijuana measure, with $458,000 on the pro side and $457,000 on the con side.

Supporting donations and spending

The Yes on 29 Ballot Committee took in $436,000 and spent $217,000 since May, according to its most recent campaign finance report.

About $300,000 of the contributions came from the marijuana industry. The largest contribution was $100,000 from GL Partners Inc. in Rapid City, a medical marijuana dispensary business (South Dakota voters approved medical marijuana in 2020). Ahead of the June primary election, GL Partners gave another $100,000 to the committee. 

Trevor, Sydney and Gib Moyle of Rapid City gave a combined $100,100. The family owns the Moyle Petroleum Company. 

Committee chair Brad Jurgensen’s HomeSlice Media company donated $50,000 in marketing work and $5,000 cash. 

The Marijuana Policy Project, a national nonprofit that supports pot legalization, gave $37,000, and a California company that makes maps showing where to buy weed legally gave $30,000. 

The group also took in $15,000 from South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws, a ballot question committee that was organized to support a failed 2022 ballot question to legalize recreational cannabis.

A similarly named committee supporting IM 29, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws Inc., spent $64,570 of the $82,000 it took in since May. Its largest single contribution of $60,000 came from the Yes on 29 Ballot Committee. The group also received $10,000 from a dispensary business, High Hills LLC.

Opposition donations and spending

An anti-marijuana group, the Protecting SD Kids Ballot Question Committee, pulled in over $457,000 and spent $371,000. Besides the more than $370,000 in individual contributions, $71,000 came from eight South Dakota companies and organizations, including $25,000 apiece from First PREMIER Bank in Sioux Falls and Prestige Auto Sales in Spearfish.

The group issued a press release Wednesday announcing it had raised a total of $550,000, including more recent fundraising that wasn’t included in the group’s Oct. 21 report. Committee Treasurer Marli Wiese said the additional funds are all individual contributions under $10,000.

This South Dakota Searchlight article is republished online under Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. 

Photo:  A marijuana plant at the Dakota Herb medical marijuana grow operation near Tea. (John Hult/South Dakota Searchlight).

Related posts

•  Cannabis on South Dakota ballot yet again with IM 29: if voters decriminalize marijuana, lawmakers would make the call on sales  
•  Marketing opportunity for Big Stone County? South Dakota News Watch Poll: South Dakota voters oppose recreational marijuana measure
• South Dakota cannabis legalization ballot measure validated for November 5 election 
• South Dakotans return dope to governor's office, defeat legal pot, preserve Pierre's red swamp 
• Bummer! South Dakota News Watch poll shows referendum on recreational cannabis legalization in South Dakota could fail in November 
• After court defeat, South Dakotans for Better Marijuana Laws keeps working for adult cannabis
• SD Supreme Court strikes down legal cannabis; supporters vow to make the people rule

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