Who’s Tracking Cannabis Sales in South Dakota? The Health Department Isn’t

Who’s Tracking Cannabis Sales in South Dakota? The Health Department Isn’t

By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 5, 2026

As lawmakers debate cannabis enforcement and market controls, the South Dakota Department of Health confirms it does not collect or receive dispensary-level sales or dispensing reports.

As South Dakota lawmakers continue debating cannabis enforcement and market controls, a public records response from the Department of Health reveals a key data gap at the center of the state’s regulatory framework: the Office of Medical Cannabis does not collect or receive dispensary-level sales or dispensing reports.

The confirmation, provided by a Department of Health attorney in response to a public records request, clarifies that South Dakota’s medical cannabis regulator does not maintain its own dataset on dispensary sales or dispensing volumes. That absence matters because sales-related claims are frequently invoked in legislative debates over cannabis enforcement, market restrictions, and public safety—yet the state agency tasked with overseeing the program says it does not receive establishment-level data to support such claims.

South Dakota uses the Metrc seed-to-sale system to track cannabis plants, inventory, and transactions for compliance purposes. The Department of Health’s response makes clear, however, that this information is not maintained or received by the Office of Medical Cannabis as establishment-level sales or dispensing reports, nor made publicly available for policy analysis.

Previously I reported on initial efforts by WeedPress to obtain sales data:

Who’s Really Selling What? A Statewide Audit Request Hits South Dakota’s Cannabis Program

South Dakota Department Of Health Response To WeedPress Audit Of Sales, Business Records

That was then. This is now. Below is the latest email WeedPress received this February 2nd in the latest update:

Mr. Karimi,

Your public records request has been received.

Please be advised that the Office of Medical Cannabis does not maintain, nor does it have submitted to it, an establishment-level sales/dispensing report.

Best Regards,

Tamara Lee

Attorney for DOH

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The Department of Health’s response does not answer who, if anyone, is responsible for collecting or evaluating cannabis sales data in South Dakota. But it does place a clear boundary around what the state’s medical cannabis regulator does—and does not—know. As lawmakers continue to consider enforcement and market-related proposals, that distinction may prove central to understanding how cannabis policy is being shaped, and on what evidentiary foundation.

This isn’t a dead end—it’s a boundary marker.

They’ve now officially put on record:
• what they don’t know,
• what they don’t track, and
• what they therefore can’t empirically support.

That’s exactly the kind of institutional clarity watchdog work feeds on.

Weedpress emailed in response:

Ms. Lee,

Thank you for the response confirming that the Office of Medical Cannabis does not maintain, nor receive, establishment-level sales or dispensing reports.

For clarification purposes, could you please advise:

1. Whether any other South Dakota state agency collects or maintains sales or dispensing data related to medical cannabis establishments; and

2. Whether the Department of Health relies on aggregate data, inter-agency summaries, law enforcement reporting, or third-party sources when referencing sales volume, dispensing levels, market impact, or public safety considerations related to medical cannabis.

If such information exists in the form of communications, analyses, or briefings relied upon by DOH, please let me know the appropriate scope for a follow-up public records request.

Thank you for your time and assistance.

Best regards,
Jason Karimi

The Department of Health’s response draws a clear line around the limits of its own data. Where cannabis sales information exists, and how it is used in policymaking, remains an open question. My response and follow up email to the above email from DOH was sent February 5th, 2026 at 5:07 pm. I’ll figure out who if anyone uses basic sales data when making cannabis policy that affects people’s freedoms.

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