The measure, which was set aside by the House Health and Human Services Committee, had only one sponsor and was opposed by the state attorney general and some key law-enforcement officials.

Charlie McGuigan, a spokesman for the attorney general's office, said his office opposed "legalize marijuana in any form, whether it's medical marijuana, industrial hemp or any other concoction that would give credence to this substance." Dan Mosteller, superintendent of the South Dakota Highway Patrol, called medical marijuana a cover for efforts to legalize all marijuana use.

But Rep. Gerald Lange (D-Madison), who introduced the bill, told the committee, "This is a wave that is coming. This bill is very restrictive. It is not a slippery slope." Lange said the measure would require medical-pot users to register with the state Department of Health and allow doctors to prescribe the drug only when the benefits of medical marijuana use outweigh the risks associated with the drug.

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