South Dakota medical pot cards rise with ‘pop-up clinics’

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — South Dakota has seen a rapid rise in people registering to use medical marijuana in recent months.

A state health official told lawmakers Tuesday that many people obtain their patient cards online through temporary consultation sites rather than their regular medical providers. Chris Qualm, who administers the state’s medical pot program, told a legislative oversight committee that there are now more than 4,000 people registered to use the drug.

That’s a rapid increase from this summer, when the state had tracked several hundred people registering each month.

October 26, 2022