The South Carolina Senate passed a bill to legalize marijuana for medical purposes.
The “Compassionate Care Act,” which passed a second reading in the Senate on Tuesday with a 26-17 margin, and officially passed on a third reading Wednesday with a 24-19 vote, would make available to those prescribed by a doctor:
(i) cannabis products for topical administration including, but not limited to, patches for transdermal administration or lotions, creams, or ointments, that contain a total of no more than four thousand milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol;
(ii) cannabis products for oral administration including, but not limited to, oils, tinctures, capsules, or edible forms, that contain a total of no more than one thousand six hundred milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol;
(iii) cannabis products that consist of oils for vaporization that contain a total of no more than eight thousand two hundred milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol; or
(iv) for any other modes of delivery, an equivalent amount as determined by the department
Patients seeking to obtain cannabis would have to have a diagnosis of a serious illness, such as cancer, multiple sclerosis, post-traumatic stress disorder, or “any chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition for which an opioid is currently or could be prescribed by a physician based on generally accepted standards of care…”
State Senator Brad Hutto (D-Orangeburg) reportedly applauded his Republican colleague State Senator Tom Davis (R-Beaufort), who sponsored the bill, saying the passage of the bill was “one of the hardest, longest-fought battles in the history of this state.”
The South Carolina Sun reached out to Davis for further comment but did not hear back.
The Sun also contacted State Senator George “Chip” Campsen (R-Charleston), who opposed the measure. Campsen also did not return a comment request.
In 2022, the South Carolina Senate first passed a similar bill, but it died in the state House of Representatives.
If the new bill passes in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives and is signed into law by Governor Henry McMaster (R), South Carolina would become the 1oth state to legalize marijuana for medical purposes only.
In some states, like New Hampshire and North Dakota, marijuana is legal for medical purposes but also decriminalized for recreational use.
In other states, like Colorado and California, marijuana is legal for medical and recreational use.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on X / Twitter.
