The oversight committee shall meet at least two times per year for the purpose of evaluating and making recommendations to the Legislature and the department regarding:

(1) The ability of qualifying patients in all areas of the state to obtain timely access to high-quality medical cannabis;

(2) The effectiveness of the dispensaries and cultivation facilities, individually and together, in serving the needs of qualifying patients, including the provision of educational and support services by dispensaries, the reasonableness of their prices, whether they are generating any complaints or security problems, and the sufficiency of the number operating to serve the state’s registered qualifying patients;

(3) The effectiveness of the cannabis testing facilities, including whether a sufficient number are operating;

(4) The sufficiency of the regulatory and security safeguards contained in this chapter and adopted by the department to ensure that access to and use of cannabis cultivated is provided only to cardholders;

(5) Any recommended additions or revisions to the department regulations or this chapter, including recommendations relating to security, safe handling, labeling, and nomenclature;

(6) Any research studies regarding health effects of medical cannabis for patients; and

(7) Any medical and clinical aspects of the medical cannabis program.

The oversight committee shall ensure that it seeks relevant input from qualifying patients; designated caregivers; pharmacists; school boards and administrators; parents; municipal representatives; state agencies, including the Department of Health, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Department of Public Safety; and medical cannabis establishments.

Source: Initiated Measure No. 26, approved Nov. 3, 2020, eff. Jul. 1, 2021; SL 2023, ch 125, § 3; SL 2023, ch 126, § 1.