A recent poll shows support for legalisation of medical marijuana in the US state of South Carolina remains very strong.
South Carolina is a medical cannabis holdout state; one of the few remaining. While the South Carolina Senate passed a medical cannabis bill in 2022 by a wide margin, the bill subsequently died in the House.
Further legislation is in the pipeline, S0423, which would create the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act. In addition to allowing the use of medical cannabis in the state, the proposed legislation would also establish extensive safeguards for registered patients, caregivers, and doctors. But S0423 is also struggling to get across the line.
While lawmakers faff about, the collective minds of the state’s voters have been made up for quite some time. According to a Winthrop Poll released last week, seventy-six percent favor its legalization, with just 14% opposing – and strong support runs across both Democrats and Republican.
“Support for medical marijuana in South Carolina has steadily grown over the years, especially as other states have moved towards legalization without an apparent collapse of society,” said Winthrop Poll Director, Dr. Scott Huffmon.
On the adult use/recreational front there is also majority support, but nowhere near as strong. 56% of the general population supports marijuana legalization. The poll results note Republicans are split on the issue while Democrats are in favor.
One of medical cannabis’s powerful friends in the Senate is Senator Tom Davis, who has been fighting hard for legalisation.
“Cannabis is not a cure-all for every medical condition, nor would it be appropriate for every patient,” says Sen. Davis. “But it should be added to a physician’s inventory of treatment choices.”
The senator is the primary sponsor of S0423.
The Senate Medical Affairs Committee has approved S0423, but it failed to progress from its originating chamber before the crossover deadline. Although this generally implies the bill is deemed unsuccessful according to NORML, Senator Davis maintains it may still have a chance to pass during the current session.
Further information on the proposed South Carolina Compassionate Care Act can be found here.
