PIERRE - A measure carrying a stiffer penalty for those who peddle marijuana to minors has been sent to the floor of the South Dakota House.

The Judiciary Committee unanimously approved HB1061 on Wednesday.

The bill provides a maximum prison term of 10 years for selling or giving from one ounce to one pound of pot to a minor; amounts beyond that would be punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Current law threatens up to 10 years behind bars for the distribution of any amount of marijuana to a minor.

The attorney general's office brought HB1061 because the maximum penalty for distributing marijuana to an adult is now 15 years in prison, but the maximum is 10 years when giving marijuana to a minor.