SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO.com) — Sioux Falls City Council has put itself at odds with Governor Kristi Noem.
The Council’s provisional wishlist for the 2020 State Legislature includes support for legalizing industrial hemp. Governor Noem strongly opposes hemp, saying it could open the door to legalization of marijuana.
Councilor Pat Starr was instrumental in getting hemp on the council’s legislative priority list. He says it could help the city’s growing biotech industry.
“We should advocate for our local businesses that do this. They primarily process flax seed now,” but Starr says the industry tells him that hemp would be much more effective than flaxseed as an ingredient in everything from protein bars to smoothies.
Councilor Curt Soehl was the only councilor to vote against including legal hemp on the legislative wishlist, although he did vote to support the entire list. Soehl says he just doesn’t have enough information on hemp to have an opinion one way or the other on such a “divisive issue.”
Governor Noem vetoed a legal hemp bill from the last state legislature. There may be another try in the 2020 legislature.
South Dakota farm groups strongly support legal hemp as a new cash crop.
47 other states have legalized hemp.