A WeedPress research page.
This tracker lists formal questions, petitions, public-records requests, right-of-reply requests and other inquiries WeedPress has sent on medical cannabis, mainly to government agencies (two private laboratories are listed separately, and one Attorney General opinion not requested by WeedPress is included for context), with the date sent, any legal authority cited, the response date, a short exact quote from any response, and links to the records. It draws on the Public Compliance Log and is updated as responses arrive.
How to read this tracker
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Answered | The agency responded to the substance of the question. |
| Declined | The agency responded but declined to rule, answer or release records, in whole or part. |
| Pending | Sent; no response received yet, and any legal or stated response deadline has not passed. For private recipients, this does not imply a legal duty to respond. |
| Overdue | A legal or stated response deadline has passed without a response. |
| To be verified | WeedPress has not yet confirmed the status from a record. |
Quotes are copied from the response where WeedPress holds it; where the source is a WeedPress article quoting a response, the entry says so. Dates are the dates on the documents or emails. Personal contact details are redacted from posted records. Disclosure: WeedPress publisher Jason Karimi is the petitioner or requester in the entries he filed.
Summary as of Oct. 29, 2026: Declined: 5; Pending: 9; Answered: 2 (16 entries; one “Answered” entry is the Attorney General opinion, included for context). No entry is currently marked Overdue.
Index
- S.D. Department of Health: scheduling petitions
“Petition for Declaratory Ruling and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis” (document title) — Declined
Petition for Declaratory Ruling — Declined
Reply to the Oct. 22 letter — Pending
Follow-up to the Oct. 29 reply supplying links to HHS’s Aug. 29, 2023 Schedule III recommendation — Pending - S.D. Department of Health: testing labs and establishments
Written questions on the departure of the state’s second testing lab, confirmation testing, contingency plans and pending applications — Answered
Media question on the certificate status of Royzzz Manufacturing of Yankton — Declined
Media question on the certificate status of three dispensaries — Declined
Public-records request PUBRECREQ0007157: records on Royzzz Manufacturing of Yankton — Pending
Public-records request PUBRECREQ0007158 — Pending - S.D. Legislative Research Council
Open-records request for Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee communications with outside individuals and organizations, and records on how outside speakers were selected (Oct. 19, 2021 to Oct. 19, 2026) — Declined
Request to confirm that written comments emailed for the record of the Oct. 13, 2026 Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee meeting were received and filed — Pending - S.D. Attorney General
Official Opinion No. 26-06 on the impact of federal rescheduling (addressed to the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee’s vice chair; not a WeedPress request) — Answered - U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
FOIA request for DEA registration applications and registrations by South Dakota medical marijuana licensees under 21 C.F.R. § 1301.13(k) — Pending - Texas officials (right of reply)
Right-of-reply requests after publication of the Texas THC article — Pending - Non-government recipients
Questions to Triverity Analytical about the end of its South Dakota certificate — Pending
Questions to Cannabis Chem Lab about statewide testing capacity — Pending
S.D. Department of Health: scheduling petitions
“Petition for Declaratory Ruling and Mandatory Scheduling Review of Cannabis” (document title)
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health |
| Submitted | Feb. 19, 2026 |
| Authority | SDCL § 1-26-13; § 1-26-15; § 34-20B-27; ARSD ch. 44:62:01 (as discussed in the department’s response) |
| Response date | Mar. 19, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | “the South Dakota Department of Health has determined that the petition is insufficient and does not comply with the applicable statutory requirements.”¹ |
| Status | Declined |
| Records | DOH response (PDF, redacted); Records Library; WeedPress article (Mar. 19) |
Petition for Declaratory Ruling: do hashish, hash oil and THC still meet Schedule I criteria, and does SDCL 34-20B-27 require a recommendation?
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (Chief Legal Counsel) |
| Submitted | Aug. 31, 2026 (received date per the department) |
| Authority | SDCL § 34-20B-14; § 34-20B-27; § 1-26-15; ARSD 44:62:01:02 |
| Response date | Oct. 22, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | “The Department therefore declines to issue what would amount to an advisory opinion to you on matters reserved to the Legislature.”² |
| Status | Declined |
| Records | DOH letter (PDF, redacted); Records Library; WeedPress article (Aug. 31); WeedPress article (Oct. 29) |
Reply to the Oct. 22 letter: request that the department use its discretion to review whether hashish, hash oil and THC have “a different potential for abuse,” and ask whether the Oct. 22 letter is its ruling disposing of the petition
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (Chief Legal Counsel) |
| Submitted | Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Authority | SDCL § 34-20B-27; § 1-26-15; ARSD 44:62:01:02 |
| Response date | None as of Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | —³,⁴ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | Reply letter (PDF, redacted); WeedPress article (Update) |
Follow-up to the Oct. 29 reply supplying links to HHS’s Aug. 29, 2023 Schedule III recommendation
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (Chief Legal Counsel) |
| Submitted | Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Authority | SDCL § 34-20B-27 |
| Response date | None as of Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | —⁵ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | Logged on the Public Compliance Log |
S.D. Department of Health: testing labs and establishments
Written questions on the departure of the state’s second testing lab, confirmation testing, contingency plans and pending applications
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (Office of Medical Cannabis; Office of Communication & Marketing) |
| Submitted | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Authority | None cited; question 2 referred to ARSD 44:90:06:08 |
| Response date | Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | On Triverity Analytical: “This certificate closed April 9, 2026.” On confirmation testing: “The Department may utilize the Public Health Laboratory if confirmation testing is warranted.” On a contingency plan: “The Department ensures testing is available for all medical cannabis products.” On pending applications: “The Department does not comment on applications received. The Department maintains an updated listing of medical cannabis establishments on medcannabis.sd.gov.”⁶,⁷ |
| Status | Answered (question on pending applications declined; reason for closure not stated) |
| Records | WeedPress article (updated Oct. 29) |
Media question on the certificate status of Royzzz Manufacturing of Yankton
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (Office of Medical Cannabis) |
| Submitted | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Authority | None cited |
| Response date | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | “Please submit your information request through the open records portal found here …”⁸ |
| Status | Declined (declined to answer as a media question; redirected to the open-records portal and refiled as PUBRECREQ0007157) |
| Records | See PUBRECREQ0007157 below |
Media question on the certificate status of three dispensaries
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (Office of Medical Cannabis) |
| Submitted | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Authority | None cited |
| Response date | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | “Please submit your information request through the open records portal found here …”⁸ |
| Status | Declined (declined to answer as a media question; redirected to the open-records portal and refiled as PUBRECREQ0007158) |
| Records | See PUBRECREQ0007158 below |
Public-records request PUBRECREQ0007157: records on Royzzz Manufacturing of Yankton
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (sd.gov public-records portal) |
| Submitted | Oct. 27, 2026 |
| Authority | SDCL § 1-27-37(1) (cited in portal receipt) |
| Response date | Receipt acknowledged Oct. 27, 2026; response due about Nov. 10, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | Receipt: “A public record officer will respond to your request within ten (10) business days pursuant to SDCL 1-27-37(1).”⁹,⁴ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | Portal receipt on file with WeedPress; response records will be posted in the Records Library when received |
Public-records request PUBRECREQ0007158: records on three former dispensaries and cardholder counts by county
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Department of Health (sd.gov public-records portal) |
| Submitted | Oct. 27, 2026 |
| Authority | SDCL § 1-27-37(1) (cited in portal receipt) |
| Response date | Receipt acknowledged Oct. 27, 2026; response due about Nov. 10, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | Receipt: “A public record officer will respond to your request within ten (10) business days pursuant to SDCL 1-27-37(1).”⁹ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | Portal receipt on file with WeedPress; response records will be posted in the Records Library when received |
S.D. Legislative Research Council
Open-records request for Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee communications with outside individuals and organizations, and records on how outside speakers were selected (Oct. 19, 2021 to Oct. 19, 2026)
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Legislative Research Council |
| Submitted | Oct. 19, 2026 (follow-up Oct. 26, 2026) |
| Authority | SDCL § 1-27-35; fee waiver requested under § 1-27-36 |
| Response date | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | Item 1: the communications “are nonpublic records under SDCL 1-27-1.5(12) as they are ‘correspondence . . . of public officials or employees.’” (as quoted in WeedPress’s article, which reports that Item 2 was denied, Item 3 was denied in part, and the LRC pointed to its website for other materials)¹⁰,¹¹ |
| Status | Declined (in whole or in part) |
| Records | WeedPress article (Oct. 29). The LRC’s response letter is not yet posted in the Records Library. |
Request to confirm that written comments emailed for the record of the Oct. 13, 2026 Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee meeting were received and filed
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Legislative Research Council (committee staff) |
| Submitted | Oct. 27, 2026 (comments sent Oct. 13, 2026) |
| Authority | None cited |
| Response date | None as of Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | —¹² |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | Request email on file with WeedPress; filing status not confirmed. MMOC hearing documents page |
S.D. Attorney General
Official Opinion No. 26-06 on the impact of federal rescheduling (addressed to the Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee’s vice chair; not a WeedPress request)
| Agency / recipient | S.D. Attorney General |
| Submitted | To be verified (opinion is addressed to Sen. John Carley, Vice Chair, Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee) |
| Authority | To be verified |
| Response date | Oct. 6, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | “Because federal law explicitly permits state medical-marijuana programs, South Dakota’s program may continue to operate as it has without impact from marijuana’s federal rescheduling to a Schedule III controlled substance.”¹³ |
| Status | Answered (published opinion; not a WeedPress request) |
| Records | AG Op. No. 26-06 (atg.sd.gov); WeedPress analysis (Oct. 13); Records Library |
U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
FOIA request for DEA registration applications and registrations by South Dakota medical marijuana licensees under 21 C.F.R. § 1301.13(k), since Apr. 28, 2026: applicant lists (including 60-day timely applicants under (k)(7)); each applicant’s name, city, activity, date, status and registration number; registrations issued to South Dakota entities; deficiency, withdrawal and denial correspondence; and DEA–S.D. Department of Health license-verification correspondence
| Agency / recipient | U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (FOIA/PA Unit) |
| Submitted | Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Authority | Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552; records concern 21 C.F.R. § 1301.13(k) (added by 91 Fed. Reg. 22,714 (Apr. 28, 2026)); news-media fee status and a full fee waiver requested, with a $50 fee cap |
| Response date | None as of Oct. 29, 2026 (no acknowledgment or tracking number yet); approximate statutory deadline Nov. 30, 2026 (20 business days under 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(A)) |
| Response (quote) | —¹⁵ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | Request email on file with WeedPress; request text available on request. Logged on the Public Compliance Log |
Texas officials (right of reply)
Right-of-reply requests after publication of the Texas THC article
| Agency / recipient | Texas officials’ offices, campaigns and the program named in the WeedPress Texas THC article (recipient list on file with WeedPress) |
| Submitted | Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Authority | WeedPress right-of-reply policy |
| Response date | Responses requested by Nov. 2, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | —⁴ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | WeedPress article |
Non-government recipients
Questions to Triverity Analytical about the end of its South Dakota certificate
| Agency / recipient | Triverity Analytical (private laboratory) |
| Submitted | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Authority | None cited |
| Response date | None as of Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | —¹⁴ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | WeedPress article |
Questions to Cannabis Chem Lab about statewide testing capacity
| Agency / recipient | Cannabis Chem Lab (private laboratory) |
| Submitted | Oct. 26, 2026 |
| Authority | None cited |
| Response date | None as of Oct. 29, 2026 |
| Response (quote) | —¹⁴ |
| Status | Pending |
| Records | WeedPress article |
About this tracker
This page links to the Public Compliance Log, which records each action as it happens, and to the Records Library, which holds the documents. Legal questions behind these requests are mapped in the Federal Medical Cannabis Compliance Matrix (companion page). Corrections: Corrections & Right of Reply.
Last updated: Oct. 29, 2026.
Notes
¹ Letter from Jennifer M. Jorgenson, Chief Legal Counsel, S.D. Dep’t of Health, to Jason Karimi 1 (Mar. 19, 2026) (redacted copy), weedpress.org.
² Letter from Jennifer M. Jorgenson, Special Assistant Att’y Gen. & Chief Legal Counsel, S.D. Dep’t of Health, to Jason Karimi 1 (Oct. 22, 2026) (redacted copy), weedpress.org.
³ Letter from Jason Karimi to Jennifer M. Jorgenson, Chief Legal Counsel, S.D. Dep’t of Health (Oct. 29, 2026) (redacted copy), weedpress.org.
⁴ WeedPress, Public Compliance Log (last updated Oct. 29, 2026).
⁵ Email from Jason Karimi to Jennifer M. Jorgenson, Chief Legal Counsel, S.D. Dep’t of Health (Oct. 29, 2026) (follow-up supplying links to the U.S. Dep’t of Health & Human Servs. Aug. 29, 2023 recommendation) (on file with WeedPress).
⁶ Email from Jason Karimi, WeedPress, to S.D. Dep’t of Health, Off. of Med. Cannabis (cc: Off. of Commc’n & Mktg.) (Oct. 26, 2026) (on file with WeedPress).
⁷ Email from S.D. Dep’t of Health, Off. of Commc’n & Mktg., to WeedPress (Oct. 29, 2026) (on file with WeedPress); published in Jason Karimi, South Dakota Had Two Medical Cannabis Testing Labs. Now It Has One., WeedPress (Oct. 26, 2026, updated Oct. 29, 2026).
⁸ Emails from S.D. Dep’t of Health, Off. of Med. Cannabis, to WeedPress (Oct. 26, 2026) (two replies directing the questions to the state open-records portal) (on file with WeedPress).
⁹ Emails from SD.gov Portal to WeedPress, “Your Request for Records has been received” (Oct. 27, 2026) (citing S.D. Codified Laws § 1-27-37(1)) (on file with WeedPress); S.D. Codified Laws § 1-27-37.
¹⁰ Email from Jason Karimi to S.D. Legislative Rsch. Council (Oct. 26, 2026) (follow-up on Oct. 19, 2026 request under S.D. Codified Laws § 1-27-35) (on file with WeedPress).
¹¹ Jason Karimi, Who Picked the Anti-Marijuana Speakers? South Dakota Legislature Says State Law Lets It Keep That Secret, WeedPress (Oct. 29, 2026) (quoting the Legislative Research Council’s Oct. 26, 2026 written response); S.D. Codified Laws § 1-27-1.5(12), (24).
¹² Email from Jason Karimi to S.D. Legislative Rsch. Council staff, Medical Marijuana Oversight Committee (Oct. 27, 2026) (on file with WeedPress).
¹³ Official Opinion Concerning Impact of Federal Rescheduling of Marijuana, S.D. Att’y Gen. Op. No. 26-06 (Oct. 6, 2026), atg.sd.gov.
¹⁴ Emails from Jason Karimi, WeedPress, to Triverity Analytical and to Cannabis Chem Lab (Oct. 26, 2026) (on file with WeedPress).
¹⁵ Email from Jason Karimi, Publisher, WeedPress, to U.S. Drug Enforcement Admin., FOIA/PA Unit (Oct. 29, 2026) (Freedom of Information Act request) (on file with WeedPress; request text available on request).
