State House Press Conference for S423

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A press conference was held in the statehouse lobby on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, at 10:30 AM as Senate Bill S423 gains momentum in the State House of Representatives. A bipartisan group of state lawmakers introduced and passed the comprehensive medical cannabis legislation earlier this year in the state Senate. The South Carolina Compassionate Care Act will allow patients suffering from debilitating medical conditions to access medical cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation.

“Healthcare bureaucrats and czars should not be telling physicians and patients what to do,” said Sen. Tom Davis, (R-Beaufort), the bill’s lead sponsor in the Senate. “Medical freedom — the primacy of the physician-patient relationship — is something legislators like to say they champion, so let’s empower physicians who think cannabis can be therapeutic for their patients.”

The suggested legislation would empower the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) to license and oversee a select number of medical cannabis cultivation centers, processing facilities, independent testing labs, and dispensaries. Patients with specific medical conditions who have obtained written endorsements from their doctors would be issued registration cards. This would permit them to buy a restricted quantity of medical cannabis derivatives from an authorized cannabis pharmacy. It’s worth noting that similar laws have been enacted in 38 states, the District of Columbia, as well as Guam and Puerto Rico since March 2023.

Back in 2014, South Carolina passed a law permitting patients with severe epilepsy to use cannabis preparations rich in CBD and low in THC. However, the law falls short as it doesn’t cater to other serious conditions that could benefit from medical cannabis. It also fails to regulate the supply of CBD products. Moreover, some epilepsy patients have noted that a higher THC to CBD ratio is needed for effective reduction in seizure frequency and intensity.

“My daughter has run out of traditional treatment options and medical cannabis could help her,” said SC Compassion President Jill Swing of Charleston, whose 9-year-old daughter, Mary Louise, has cerebral palsy and epilepsy. “She has experienced some benefits from CBD oil, but whole-plant treatments are far more effective at controlling her seizures. This legislation would truly improve her quality of life.”

According to a 2024 Mason-Dixon Poll, over four out of five adults (83 percent) support the reform, with 93 percent of Democrats and 74 percent of Republicans in agreement. 

“We are tired of seeing loved ones suffer, families torn apart, and lives destroyed by our state’s current cannabis policy,” Swing said. “Seriously ill South Carolinians should not have to break the law or move to another state to access this medically beneficial and often life-saving plant. We are thankful that compassionate lawmakers have heard our pleas for help and responded with this commonsense legislation.”

Speakers:

• Jill Swing, Executive Director, SC Compassionate Care Alliance
• Senator Tom Davis (R-Bluffton) sponsor of S423, The Compassionate Care Act
• District 94 Representative, Gil Gatch and other members of the General Assembly
• Teshieka K. Curtis-Pugh, MSN, RN, CMSRN, RN-BC, NPD, CRRN, Executive Director, South Carolina Nurses Association  
• Candace Carroll, State Director, Americans For Prosperity
• Daniel Brundrick , RPh, CEO – Farm to Pharm
• Matt Nichols, former Political Director SCGOP – Marine Veteran 

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SC Compassion is a statewide coalition of patients, families, and advocates working to establish a comprehensive medical cannabis program in South Carolina. For more information, visit https://SCCompassion.com.

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