Unofficial results shared by the
Oglala Sioux Tribe show voters embraced marijuana for medicinal and recreational purposes while rejecting the sale of alcohol at gaming establishments on the
Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.
According to the tallies, an overwhelming majority of tribal citizens approved the two marijuana questions that were on Tuesday's ballot. Medicinal marijuana passed with nearly 82 percent of the vote while recreational passed with 73 percent of the vote.
OST REFERENDUM UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
WHITECLAY/OGLALA
Alcohol yes 100 No 226
Med Marijuana yes 250 No 119
Rev marijuana...
Posted by Oglala Sioux Tribe - OST on Wednesday, March 11, 2020
Alcohol, however, failed by a large margin. Voters rejected liquor at the two tribal casinos by a 62 percent margin, a drastic turnaround from a
referendum in 2014, when sales were approved in an election with
strong turnout but were never implemented amid disagreement on the reservation.
According to the unofficial results, 885 people voted "Yes" on the alcohol question.
They were outnumbered by the 1428 who voted "No."
"When our people vote on whether to allow alcohol onto our homelands, my vote will be NO," President Julian Bear Runner said in a
post on social media ahead of the referendum.
As for medical marijuana, 1,840 voted for it, compared to 412 against, according to the tallies.
For recreational marijuana, 1,585 voted "Yes" while 576 voted "No."
Regardless of the outcome, marijuana is still considered illegal under federal law. Federal authorities could prosecute anyone -- Indian and non-Indian alike -- for possessing, transporting, selling or cultivating marijuana.
Marijuana is also illegal under South Dakota law. Though the state generally lacks jurisdiction over the activities of Indians in Indian Country, authorities in the past prosecuted non-Indians who engaged in a marijuana business that was to be operated by the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe.
"When our people vote on whether to allow alcohol onto our homelands, my vote will be NO"
Thank you to the Horse Nation, riders and support.
No to Alcohol on March 10, 2020 (7am-7pm mst)
Posted by Julian Bear Runner, Oglala Sioux Tribe President on Monday, February 24, 2020
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