Columbia Charleston residents Jill Swing and her 9-year-old daughter, Mary Louise, spent a month in Maine last summer. But the trip was not a summer vacation.
During that time, Mary Louise received treatment to control seizures caused by cerebral palsy and epilepsy. They are among the state’s medical cannabis refugees, as Swing called it.
Swing stood in the Statehouse with a bipartisan group of about 10 legislators from the South Carolina House and Senate on Tuesday – the first day of the 2017 session – to announce the reintroduction of a comprehensive medical marijuana bill that will allow for the manufacture, sale and consumption of the drug as treatment.
Twenty-eight states allow the use of medical marijuana.
Swing said those seeking medical marijuana have to choose between accessing it illegally, moving to another state where its use is allowed, or staying in South Carolina and continuing to suffer.
"These are decisions no patient or caregiver should be forced to make," she said.
Medical professionals typically prescribe marijuana for patients dealing with illnesses such as epilepsy, glaucoma and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, again is introducing a bill that would allow patients who have had a documented, qualifying debilitating medical condition for at least one year, with recommendation from their doctor, to access medical medical marijuana.
Rep. Peter McCoy, R-Charleston, is expected to introduce the same legislation in the House.
If the bill passes, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control would regulate and license centers where the drug was grown, processed, dispensed and tested. DHEC would have the authority to establish fees for patients and marijuana establishments that would offset the costs of running the program. It will not raise revenue for the state.
Davis stressed that he wanted to work with law enforcement to ease the concerns of those who worry access to medical marijuana would increase recreational use.
"This will be regulated and tracked from seed to sale," he said.
House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford, D-Columbia, said lawmakers across the political spectrum have come together on this issue.
"We’re tired of the tears," he said. "We’re tired of the pain. We’re tired of looking these families in the eyes, these parents in the eyes, and we’re watching them as they seek a cure as they seek something to help their children."
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Bipartisan Group Of S.C. Lawmakers Push For Legalization Of Medical Marijuana
Author: Maya T. Prabhu
Contact: 843-577-7111
Photo Credit: Maya T. Prabhu
Website: The Post and Courier
