PIERRE, S.D. — A proposal to legalize industrial hemp in South Dakota has cleared the Legislature, and Gov. Kristi Noem says she will sign it.
The Legislature approved a crucial demand from the governor.
It allotted $3.5 million that Noem says is necessary to “responsibly” run a hemp program in the state.
The governor vetoed a bill to legalize hemp last year, but agreed to approve it this year if it met four “guardrails” that she laid out to lawmakers.
If Noem signs the bill, it contains an emergency clause that allows it to take immediate effect.
