Support for medical marijuana among residents of South Carolina remains incredibly strong according to a recent survey.
South Carolina is one of the few remaining holdout states yet to legalize medical marijuana, although various attempts have been made. For example, the South Carolina Senate passed a medical cannabis bill in 2022 by a wide margin, but the bill subsequently died in the House.
But other legislation is in the pipeline, including S. 423, which was introduced last year and would create the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act. in February this year, the Senate passed S. 423 in a 24-19 vote after four days of debate. The last action for the bill was on February 27 when it was referred to the Committee on Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs.
S. 423’s primary sponsor is Senator Thomas Davis, who also championed Act 221 of 2014 that legalized the consumption of cannabis oil – but only for those with epilepsy. S. 423 includes a range of other conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and Crohn’s disease.
While lawmakers mess about with S. 423, what’s clear is local support for legal medical cannabis remains strong. A poll carried out last month of 625 registered South Carolina voters by Mason-Dixon Polling and Strategy asked the question:
“Do you support or oppose allowing patients in South Carolina who suffer from an approved list of serious medical conditions to use medical marijuana if their doctor recommends it?”
A whopping 83% supported medical marijuana under those circumstances, 11% were opposed and 6% were undecided. The margin for error is no more than ± 4 percentage points.
A poll carried out last year by Winthrop University found seventy-six percent favored legalization of medical marijuana, with just 14% opposing.
Should S. 423 pass muster with little further change, among other actions it would amend Chapter 53, Title 44 Of The South Carolina Code relating to poisons, drugs, and other controlled substances, by adding article 20 so as to provide for the sale of medical cannabis products and the conditions under which a sale can occur.
If S. 423 makes it as far as Governor Henry McMaster’s desk, it’s not clear if his signature is a done deal. However, Governor McMaster has previously indicated that while his opposition toward the legalization of marijuana for adult-use remains, he would consider legalizing medical marijuana.
