Latest
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Federal Rescheduling Increases ADA Scrutiny of South Dakota’s Medical Cannabis Policies
Federal rescheduling creates substantial new ADA questions for South Dakota policies that restrict medical cannabis use in nursing facilities and publicly supported recovery housing. Federal rescheduling of marijuana to Schedule III has changed the legal landscape. South Dakota officials and publicly funded providers should update their policies accordingly instead of continuing to treat state-registered medical…
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Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Launches Statewide Town Hall Tour
Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana Launches Statewide Town Hall Tour By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 7, 2026 Scottsbluff to Lincoln: Advocates Take Patient Access Conversation Across the State Nebraskans for Medical Marijuana (NMM) is hitting the road this week with a statewide town hall tour aimed at updating patients, families, and community members on…
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Schedule 3 Opened. The Record Was Ready With WeedPress.
Schedule 3 Opened. The Record Was Ready With WeedPress. By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 7, 2026 Seventeen years of structural analysis produced elite level policy and statutory analysis in 169 published long form articles over the past 90 days when federal cannabis rescheduling reached procedural ripeness under the CSA and APA. And that…
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A Review of WeedPress: Structure Over Noise in Cannabis Policy
A Review of WeedPress: Structure Over Noise in Cannabis Policy By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 8, 2026 As cannabis regulation continues to evolve at the state and federal levels, much of the media coverage surrounding it remains personality-driven, headline-focused, or politically reactive. Against that backdrop, WeedPress has occupied a different lane: documentation, structural…
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Why South Dakota’s Cannabis Licensing Framework Risks Being Ruled Unconstitutional
Why South Dakota’s Cannabis Licensing Framework Risks Being Ruled Unconstitutional — Federal Court Ruling Signals Constitutional Trouble Ahead By Jason Karimi | WeedPress| February 6th, 2026 South Dakota’s medical cannabis law contains a quiet but consequential line: To get a state registration certificate for a medical cannabis establishment, “[a]t least one principal officer is a…
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No. 3 – Structural Contradictions and Prospective Litigation Risk in Post-Rescheduling Cannabis Policy
Structural Contradictions and Litigation Exposure in Post-Rescheduling Cannabis Policy By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 3 February 6, 2026 ⸻ I. Executive Summary Federal rescheduling of cannabis under the Controlled Substances Act (“CSA”) alters classification but does not eliminate structural tension between federal authority and state regulatory regimes.¹ Reclassification under 21 U.S.C. §…
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When Competence Shows Up: Electoral Losses vs. Legislative Wins
When Competence Shows Up: Electoral Losses vs. Legislative Wins By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | February 5, 2026 Editors note added Thursday February 5th: After writing this article I am glad Iowa does not have ballot initiatives, so people don’t confuse these differences and conflate the tactics used in electoral and legislative avenues of relief…
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Iowa Medical Cannabis Board Meeting Dates For 2026 Announced!
I rarely attend these but once a year via zoom to give data stats and updates on the $2,000,000 in sales I’m directly and solely responsible for in Iowa annually. Political theatre is a waste of time. For those seeking clout fame attention and celebrity status, when you attend these things, nobody cares about your…
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“For The Record” Chapter 1: The First Arrest
The following 8,580 word book is ten chapters long and written for future advocates. FOR THE RECORD How Power Actually Works—and Why Documentation Outlasts the Narrative By Jason Karimi Table of Contents Preface Chapter 1 — The First ArrestEarly rupture, authority, and the beginning of resistance Chapter 2 — Before the File Was Opened Gifted…
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Why WeedPress Exists the Way It Does: How I Learned to Navigate Hostile Systems — and Still Publish Solutions
WeedPress focuses on documented facts, public records, and procedural analysis, not personal vendettas or speculation. Why WeedPress Exists the Way It Does: How I Learned to Navigate Hostile Systems — and Still Publish Solutions By Jason Karimi | WeedPress | January 29, 2026 WeedPress wasn’t built by someone who grew up with a safety net.…
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No. 2 – The Path to a Religious Cannabis Exemption: Why Medical Cannabis Systems Change the RFRA Equation
The Path to a Religious Cannabis Exemption: Why Medical Cannabis Systems Change the RFRA Equation By Jason Karimi | WeedPress Policy Series No. 2 January 27, 2026 For decades, U.S. courts have uniformly rejected claims that marijuana is protected as a religious sacrament under the First Amendment or the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). Ethiopian…
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No. 1 – Legal Memorandum: Common Misconceptions in Cannabis Activism Regarding Federal Drug Law
Legal Memorandum: Common Misconceptions in Cannabis Activism Regarding Federal Drug Law Jason KarimiWeedpress | January 2026 Executive Summary Public discourse surrounding cannabis reform continues to reflect widespread misunderstanding of federal drug law. In particular, cannabis advocacy frequently conflates administrative scheduling changes with legalization, underestimates the role of international treaty obligations, and overlooks existing statutory mechanisms…
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On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval
On Independence, Accountability, and Why I Don’t Build My Work Around Approval By Jason Karimi At 19, I ended up in a homeless shelter. Not because I committed a crime.Not because I was addicted.Not because I couldn’t work. I was there because I stood up in court for religious cannabis rights, made the front page…
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Plural Policy: The Quiet Tool Lobbyists Use to Track and Shape Law (And Why Activists Should Pay Attention)
Plural Policy: The Quiet Tool Lobbyists Use to Track and Shape Law (And Why Activists Should Pay Attention) By Jason Karimi | WeedPress 1-24-2026 Most people who follow politics think legislation moves through press releases, committee hearings, and floor votes. That’s not how it actually works. Real power happens earlier — in version changes, quiet…
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Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog
Why WeedPress Chooses to Be a High-Heat, Contrarian Watchdog By Jason Karimi | WeedPressJanuary 24, 2026 WeedPress was not created to be polite. It was not created to echo press releases, recycle activist talking points, or play nice with institutions that have repeatedly failed cannabis patients, small operators, and civil liberties. WeedPress exists to document,…
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Who Actually Holds Power?
Who Actually Holds Power? Another hit master piece by Jason Karimi, WeedPress News Scroll social media for five minutes and you’ll see the same illusion repeated in different forms: whoever controls the narrative controls the system. Influencers, viral posts, cultural momentum — these are presented as the new centers of power. The message is simple:…
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Civil Case Inquiry — Cannabis Chem Lab, LLC v. Dakota Natural Solutions (Sept. 2025)
Update: case confirmed Beadle County, South Dakota court officials have confirmed that Cannabis Chem Lab, LLC v. Dakota Natural Solutions is an active civil case filed September 4, 2025 (Case No. 02CIV25-000228). The docket reflects no recorded updates since October 9, 2025, indicating the matter remains unresolved or inactive at this time. Where Dakota Natural…
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Phil Sinwell Didn’t Just Mentor Me. He Helped Raise Me (Tribute)
Some people are more than mentors. They become part of your family, part of your foundation, part of who you are before you even realize it. Phil Sinnwell was that person for me. From the time I was six years old, Phil was in my life. He came to my house for dinner. He sat…
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Five Data-Driven Cannabis Reforms South Dakota Needs Now
Five Data-Driven Cannabis Reforms South Dakota Needs Now By Jason Karimi South Dakota’s cannabis program is stuck in neutral. Years after legalization, we still lack clarity, transparency, and a coherent path forward. Instead of endless meetings and political posturing, the state needs concrete reforms grounded in data and law. Here are five changes that would…
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Petition For Religious Cannabis Exemption In Nebraska
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THURSTON COUNTY, NEBRASKA STATE OF NEBRASKA, Plaintiff, v. JASON KARIMI, Defendant. Case No: DEFENDANT’S PRO SE MOTION TO MODIFY PROBATION CONDITION PURSUANT TO THE NEBRASKA FIRST FREEDOM ACT (NEB. REV. STAT. §§ 20-701 – 20-705) COMES NOW the Defendant, appearing pro se, and…
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A New Legal Standard Emerges: How HHS’s Two-Part Test Is Reshaping DEA Drug Scheduling
Why the HHS Two-Part Test Is Now Influencing DEA Scheduling Decisions By Jason Karimi The Controlled Substances Act (CSA) has long required that a drug must have a “currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States” before it can be placed outside of Schedule I. For decades, that determination was interpreted by the…
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Petition: South Dakota Law Now Makes Schedule I Cannabis Classification Legally Impossible
The following is a work in progress. Draft of filing that asks Department of Health to acknowledge that medical cannabis laws contradict Schedule I definition. Update 2-1: I realized I was going about this all wrong. The following isn’t per se incorrect but there’s a much simpler stronger argument the court will prefer. I will…
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State Board Warns: Iowa Cannabis Users Break Federal Law
State Board Warns: Iowa Cannabis Users Break Federal Law Iowa’s medical cannabis program authorizes patient use at the state level but remains at odds with federal laws. Despite state authorization, Iowa’s medical cannabis program remains illegal under federal law, leading to ongoing legal risk and public safety implications — and lawmakers still haven’t acted on…
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A Sioux Falls Storefront Is Selling “Cannabis” Without a South Dakota Cannabis License
By Jason Karimi – WeedPress / SD Cannabis Ledger A retail storefront operating at 825 South Minnesota Avenue in Sioux Falls presents itself to the public as a cannabis dispensary. It uses marijuana branding. It advertises cannabis. It invites walk-in customers. But it does not hold a South Dakota medical cannabis dispensary license. Which means…
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APA Concerns Delayed Rescheduling
Not surprising. Makes a lot of sense if you’ve studied administrative law for a few thousand hours.
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Peyote History – Regulation Not Statute
Peyote religious exemption was a Federal Regulation by Commissioner of Food and Drugs in 1965. Not a statute, a regulation. Important difference. Here’s a good history. https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/USCODE-2023-title42/USCODE-2023-title42-chap21-subchapI-sec1996a And, https://www.justice.gov/olc/opinion/peyote-exemption-native-american-church Notes 2000bb. Congressional findings and declaration of purposes (a) Findings The Congress finds that— (1) the framers of the Constitution, recognizing free…
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![[VIDEO] Des Moines Public Library, “A Sensible Conversation about Medical Cannabis in Iowa,” December 2nd 2013](https://weedpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/joe-bolkcom.jpg?w=300)
[VIDEO] Des Moines Public Library, “A Sensible Conversation about Medical Cannabis in Iowa,” December 2nd 2013
Senator Joe Bolkcom has uploaded these videos to his YouTube channel for anyone who couldn’t attend the December 2nd discussion on medical cannabis at the Des Moines Public Library. You can also see video of the Iowa City hearing here courtesy of Iowa City Cable TV. Legislators in attendance at this event: Representative Bruce Hunter…
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![[VIDEO] Iowa City Public Library: A Conversation about Medical Marijuana in Iowa — November 19th, 2013](https://weedpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/iowa-city-hearing.png?w=961)
[VIDEO] Iowa City Public Library: A Conversation about Medical Marijuana in Iowa — November 19th, 2013
If you were unable to attend the medical cannabis hearings around the state over the past few weeks, not to worry — video of the Iowa City hearing is available online here. Huge thanks to Iowa City Cable TV for producing this video! Click the picture to be taken to the video courtesy of Iowa…
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Iowan with Spinal Stenosis: “We’ll treat you with surgery, radiation, toxic levels of opiates and pharmaceuticals, but when it backfires, we’ll threaten you with fines and jail if you try to treat yourself with a natural plant”
Here’s another testimonial from an Iowan who wishes to remain anonymous. Follow WeedPress on Facebook. If you’d like your story heard by legislators this next session, email me at jkarimi2007@hotmail.com, or write to me on the Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana Facebook page. You can remain anonymous if you’d like. I’ll publish your story here…
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West Des Moines Mayor’s Wife on Iowa Public Radio: “None of these children will ever drive a car or fly an airplane. They just need help for their seizures.”
Meet Steve and Sally Gaer. The Gaer family. Photo source: http://www.gaerformayor.com Steve Gaer is the Mayor of West Des Moines. Steve and Sally attended last night’s medical cannabis discussion at the downtown Des Moines Public Library (see Channel 5 News coverage of the event here.) Last Monday, Sally Gaer called into Iowa Public Radio’s River…
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News Channel 5 Coverage of Last Night’s Medical Cannabis Event in Des Moines
In case you missed the news last night, Channel 5 came out to the Des Moines Public Library and did a segment about medical marijuana. Click the link to see: Iowa Lawmaker Pushes to Legalize Medical Marijuana. Video is available here as well. WeedPress is on Facebook. Follow us!
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Notes on New Mexico’s Medical Cannabis Program
Here are some of the key notes I took on Dr. Jenison’s speech in Ames last week. For more information on New Mexico’s medical cannabis program, see IowaMedicalMariuana.org and NORML.org Medical Cannabis in New Mexico goes back to 1978 — Lynn Pearson Therapeutic Research Program passes in 1983 — Defunded after five years, although language…
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![[UPDATE] After Three Weeks of Cannabis Oil, Nine Year Old Epileptic Iowan Seizure-Free For 10 Days!](https://weedpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/lgs_logo.gif?w=358)
[UPDATE] After Three Weeks of Cannabis Oil, Nine Year Old Epileptic Iowan Seizure-Free For 10 Days!
Here’s an update on this nine year old’s struggle with epilepsy. After three weeks on Charlotte’s web, writes the mother, her son is showing huge progress! Here’s her letter: Update 11/15/13: “My son has been taking Charlotte’s Web in an oil form for three weeks. What we have already seen in the past few weeks…
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Father of 11 Year Old Autistic Boy With Brain Tumor to Iowa Legislature: “As a Parent, I Would Have Much Rather Had The Option of Trying Cannabis First”
The following is an anonymous letter written by the father of an an 11 year old autistic boy with a tumor in his brain: “First, thank you for the opportunity to share my story. Actually my situation is twofold. My son’s story first. In February of 2011 my autistic 9 year old son had a…
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Iowa Cancer Patient: “I Have To Go Against The Laws. I’m a Church-Going Person.”
“I have pancreatic cancer. I have thyroid cancer. I’m in Stage IV. I don’t know how much longer I have left… I called down here first. I’m 67 years old, and I lost my mother last year at 90 with colon cancer, and I was afraid. I don’t have a record, a police record, and…
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![[VIDEO] Paralyzed From Neck Down, Fairfield Woman Asks Legislators To Legalize Medical Cannabis — HeartLandConnection.com](https://weedpress.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/marie-smallow.jpg?w=1024)
[VIDEO] Paralyzed From Neck Down, Fairfield Woman Asks Legislators To Legalize Medical Cannabis — HeartLandConnection.com
Meet Maria Smallow. Maria Smallow: “What can I do? There’s no drug available that would be suitable for me.” Maria, who is paralyzed from the neck down due to degenerative disk disease, was recently interviewed by KTVO News. From Legalizing Marijuana Would Give Fairfield Woman Peace of Mind, Good Night’s Sleep: “Maria Smallow of Fairfield…
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An Iowa Mother’s Desperate Plea: Asks State of Iowa To Legalize Medical Marijuana For 11 Year Old Son’s Epileptic Seizures Via YouTube Video
At 5 months old, Quincy began having seizures. That was in 2002. Today, after trying over 20 antiepileptic drugs, Quincy’s mother, Maria la France — who stresses that she does not use marijuana nor give it to her son due to its illegality — has made the following YouTube video pleading for the State of…
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Michele Bachmann Confused by Medical Marijuana Question at Drake University
As the Des Moines Register reported, I caught up with Michelle Bachmann yesterday to ask her about medical marijuana and states rights…and found myself listening to a Presidential candidate explain to me that she doesn’t know what role the federal government plays. Here’s the Register’s take on the conversation: “Jason Karimi, director of Iowa Patients…
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Minnesota: Judge Grants Rastafarian Exemption From Probation Drug Testing
For the past 18 months, Minnesotan Jamison Arend has been openly smoking cannabis daily — with a judge’s approval. Jamison, a licensed Rastafarian Minister, was sentenced to five years probation in March of 2010 after an altercation at his home. During sentencing, Judge Judith Tilsen handed down a groundbreaking exemption to the State’s probation drug…
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Rick Santorum Responds to Marijuana, States Rights Questions at 2011 Ames Straw Poll; Bachmann, Cain, Refuse to Answer
I went to the Ames Straw Poll last month in the hopes of hearing 2012 Republican candidates speak about marijuana legalization. Before attending, I did some research into where the 2012 candidates stand on marijuana and shared my findings here on WeedPress. While at the Straw Poll, after voting for Rick Parry, I ran into…
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Cannabis Rescheduling Coalition Petition Federal Brief Filed Today: Demands DEA Update Their Science!
Longtime marijuana activist Carl Olsen, recently granted standing to intervene in the Coalition for Rescheduling Cannabis Petition case against the DEA, has just filed his response in federal court. In his brief, Olsen slammed the DEA by introducing new evidence into the record, arguing that the DEA is unlawfully interfering with state sovereignty. Olsen stated…
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How To Win Medical Marijuana in Iowa Part 2: Assessing the Political Reality
This is part 2 of my opinion-series of steps I think are needed to make medical marijuana a reality in Iowa. Disclaimer: this is just my opinion, and I’m not that smart. Part 1: Distractivism Issues. Let’s discuss the state we all live in: pre-2012 Iowa. This isn’t exactly a “compassionate” state politically when it…
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Canada: Medical Marijuana Program Unconstitutional
Prohibitively unconstitutional, that is. I just printed off the 109 page ruling by Justice Donald Taliano. Thanks to the hard work of Canadian activists, including Cannabis Culture contributor Matthew Mernagh, this monumental decision brought an interesting question to mind: is there a similar argument to be made here in the States? Cannabis Culture’s article on…
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SSDP’s Justin Kander: Man cures cancer with cannabis successfully
I met Justin in Washington DC in early February while attending CPAC 2011 to volunteer for Governor Gary Johnson. Justin has established himself as a respectable activist in Maryland. Here’s his guest column in the The Diamondback Online from the University of Maryland. Diamondbackonline.com article . The Diamondback > Opinion Guest column: Alternate treatment By…
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Carl’s Cannabis Corner, January 23, 2011
http://blip.tv/file/4673441 My guest is Jason Karimi, Author of WeedPress Blog .We will discuss efforts to find a sponsor for medical marijuana legislation in Iowa, as well as Jason’s role in co-founding Iowa Patients for Medical Marijuana and the effort to establish a Board of Directors for the organization. We will also discuss: SSB 1016 –…
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Iowa Board of Pharmacy introduces legislation to reschedule marijuana
The Iowa Board of Pharmacy will introduce legislation to recognize marijuana as medicine this year. Following four medical marijuana hearings around the state, during which medical experts, patients, and concerned citizen gave testimony, the Iowa Board of Pharmacy has agreed that marijuana does have “accepted medical use within the United States.” As is their duty…
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WeedPress is a source for investor information, apparently
WeedPress unofficially half way launched at the beginning of 2010. Now, after one month, looks like my blog has hit the big time. Yep. That’s right. I’m quoted on investorshub.com as a source of information. Now, I know some things about cannabis, but to be taken seriously by investors? That’s just amazingly….something. I’m honored, to…
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Scheuer v. Rhodes
Sending people to jail for an innocent act when evidence reveals that the law upon which their conviction stands is fraudulent is a treasonous act in violation of the oath of office. U.S. Supreme Court, in Scheuer v. Rhodes, 416 U.S. 232, 94 s Ct. 1683, 1687 (1974) stated that, “when a state officer acts…
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South Dakota Had Two Medical Cannabis Testing Labs. Now It Has One. Nobody Has Explained Why.
Triverity Analytical is gone from the state’s licensed-establishment list, and its LLC has been administratively dissolved. With roughly 20,000 patients depending on one remaining lab, the state has not publicly explained what replaced its former two-lab testing safeguard. By Jason Karimi, WeedPress South Dakota requires medical cannabis products intended for retail sale to undergo laboratory…
