Yes, the election is over, and yes, we lost

During the course of public advocacy for sane laws regarding cannabis, I have met several dozen people who use cannabis to palliate their suffering from a specific medical condition. I have met dozens of others who have expressed their belief that cannabis could be of help to them, but are too frightened of the law to venture there. Some have said they'd try it for their nausea or pain if they could find it.

And therein lies the cruel irony of So. Dak. law. There are those of us, tens of thousands of us, who have used cannabis regularly for decades (five in my case), and who don't suffer (knowingly, anyway) from the list of conditions "approved" by the medical cannabis laws in the medical cannabis states. We know people who know people and we don't have any problem getting good cannabis, if we have the money.

People who have not used cannabis for years and years, if ever, often have lost contact with the black market crowd. If those people have a medical condition that they believe, after research, might be palliated by cannabis, then they're faced with the problem of obtaining the medicine. Seriously ill people are scared enough already. There is no reason to keep them in a state of knowing there is a medicine available but fearing jail (and bad medical treatment in jail) enough that they forego the medicine that will work.

That said, I must advocate changes in law that will provide a path by which a sick, disabled or dying person can treat his illness without it necessitating a criminal conviction if the wrong person finds out. I have no choice; I know too much, and I am too fond of some of the sick, disabled and dying people with whom I've become friends over the past few years.

This forum is probably the most elevated soapbox I have available. Decorum Forum has been averaging about 87 unique visitors per day. Only about six ever comment here. Therefore I think that there are at least a few dozen people who monitor this site but don't care to join the discussion. Maybe one of them will get inspired to help provide a medical cannabis patient a fighting chance to avoid a criminal conviction for attempting to alleviate his own suffering.