Deadline Looms For South Carolina's Ultimate Attempt To Legalize Medical Marijuana In 2023

Advocates and lawmakers in South Carolina remain determined to legalize medical marijuana and are urging the state's leadership to pass a Republican-backed reform bill before an impending legislative deadline.

According to Marijuana Moment, they emphasized the urgency of enacting the reform this year at a recent press conference, as the deadline approaches on Thursday for the bill to be moved from the Senate to the House for consideration.

Sen. Tom Davis (R) defended the bill, responding to criticism that it was not thoroughly examined before being placed on special order for consideration. He highlighted that the S.C. Compassionate Care Act had undergone numerous hearings in over a dozen subcommittees over eight years.

“South Carolina wants this. This should have been done years ago (...) If they want to continue to war on cannabis, that’s fine. But can we at least get the sick, dying, and ill off the battlefield?" said Cody Callarman, a Marine veteran and founder of an SC CBD and hemp company who spoke during the press conference.

What’s In The Bill?

The amended legislation, which was recently referred to the State Committee on Medical Affairs would allow patients to access marijuana sold by state-licensed dispensaries upon a doctor's recommendation for the treatment of qualifying conditions.

Debilitating medical conditions for which patients could receive a medical cannabis recommendation include cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Crohn’s disease, and autism, among others, per the legislation.
It would allow for cannabis to be obtained only through selected pharmacies, and smoking would remain illegal.

If marijuana patients work in public safety, commercial transportation, or commercial machinery positions they could not use medical marijuana or receive a cannabis card.

Meanwhile, a poll conducted by Winthrop University in 2022 showed that more than three-fourths of South Carolina voters are in favor of medical cannabis. “Support for medical marijuana has been growing in South Carolina with sizable majorities from both parties favoring it,” said Scott Huffmon, director of the Winthrop Poll that weighted the opinion of 1298 respondents.

If the bill fails to pass the Senate by Thursday, it could still be approved later in the year, but it wouldn't be able to advance to the House until 2024, per Marijuana Moment.

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