Ogala Sioux Tribe Will Vote on Legalizing Cannabis on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation

The Ogala Sioux Tribe will vote March 10 on whether to legalize medical and adult-use cannabis on South Dakota’s Pine Ridge Reservation, according to an AP News report.

If the vote passes, the tribe would become the only one to establish a regulated cannabis market in the state, where cannabis remains illegal, the news outlet reported.

Advocates for legalization hope a regulated cannabis industry will bring economic development to the area, which is one of the most impoverished in the country, according to AP News. Opponents say the move could conflict with state and federal authorities, however.

Earlier this year, South Dakota became the first state to place medical and adult-use cannabis legalization measures on the same ballot, leaving it to voters to decide on statewide legalization this November.