CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCIV) — South Carolina is one of only eight states in America that does not allow any form of medical marijuana.
Senate Bill 53, also known as the Compassionate Care Act, would aim to change the laws on the drug, allowing doctors to prescribe edibles, evaporation oils, balms and body oils.
“If you can go to Total Wine and get a THC drink, why shouldn’t a person with a debilitating condition be able to go to a dispensary and get a safe, regulated product to deal with their illness?” said Kevin Caldwell, a representative for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP).
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Caldwell went on to say that for pediatric patients and people with debilitating conditions who want to live within the limits of the law, it is difficult to get the treatment they need legally.
“It’s not like cannabis isn’t easily accessible in every corner of South Carolina,” said Caldwell.
For people who use CBS daily, this bill could change their lives.
Cody Callarman, a veteran and the CEO of Carolina Dreaming, uses CBD daily and believes regulating the marijuana market would improve the stigma around the drug.
“If there is a person who is in need of a higher potency, that is where a medical professional comes into play,” said Callarman. “That is where a person who has an ailment can go to a licensed medical professional and seek official guidance.”
READ MORE | “Federal shift opens new medical marijuana prospects for South Carolina.”
South Carolina lawmakers have been pushing for this change for decades. Often it will pass in the Senate, but die in the House without debate.
“I think that it is the duty of both houses to have a full debate on that legislation,” said Caldwell. “There’s overwhelming support for polling for a very conservative program like this. I believe the latest numbers were 74%. These are high, supermajority numbers.”
Bill 53 is still in committee in the Senate, and hope for the bill to pass fades slowly as the South Carolina legislative session will end May 8.
