Thousands of veterans and other South Carolinians with serious illnesses are depending on the General Assembly to enact compassionate medical cannabis legislation this year. The South Carolina Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) is a conservative bill to allow patients with certain debilitating medical conditions and a doctor’s certification to access non-smoked medical cannabis preparations from therapeutic cannabis pharmacies run by a pharmacist-in-charge.
Medical Cannabis Works and Is Far Safer than Opioids
- Although the federal government has created unique obstacles to clinical research into cannabis’ benefits, studies have shown cannabis’ value in treating serious medical conditions and symptoms.
- In 2017, after reviewing more than 10,000 scientific abstracts, the National Academies of Sciences,
- Engineering, and Medicine released a report finding evidence cannabis or cannabinoids are effective for treating symptoms including chronic pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea, and spasticity.
- Prescription drugs often come with far more serious side effects than cannabis, and many patients simply do not respond to them.
- While prescription opiates have resulted in tens of thousands of fatal overdoses in the United States, cannabis has not been shown to have caused any fatal overdoses. Research has shown that more than 60% of pain patients who use medical cannabis are able to reduce or eliminate their use of opiates.
There is Broad, Bipartisan Support for Medical Cannabis, Including Veterans and Clergy
- Seventy-two percent of South Carolina residents support allowing medical cannabis, while only 15% are opposed. (2021 Starboard Communications poll)
- Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America found over 80% of its members support allowing medical cannabis. Numerous South Carolina veterans have spoken in support of passing the S.C. Compassionate Care Act. Among supportive veterans organizations are Hidden Wounds (based in Columbia, S.C.), Veterans Alliance for Holistic Alternatives, and the Veterans Cannabis Project.
- Sixty-nine percent of police officers support allowing medical cannabis. (Pew Survey, 2017)
- Seventy-six percent of doctors would approve medical cannabis. (New England Journal of Medicine)
- Health and disease-based organizations that support allowing medical cannabis include: the American Nurses Association, the American Public Health Association, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Epilepsy Foundation, the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the U.S. Pain Foundation.
- The Episcopal Church, the Presbyterian Church USA, the United Methodist Church’s Board of Church and Society, and the Union of Reform Judaism all support allowing medical cannabis.
Federal Law Does Not Stand in the Way
- The decision to classify cannabis as a Schedule I drug was a political decision by Congress. Nothing prohibits states from having penalties that differ from federal law.
- Since 2014, Congress has included a rider to the Department of Justice funding bill to prevent it from intervening in medical cannabis states.
Thirty-Seven States Have Laws Protecting Veterans and Other Patients
- Over 70% of Americans live in a state that allows the medical use of cannabis.
- Some of the most conservative states in the country have medical cannabis laws, including Alabama,
- Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North and South Dakota, and Utah.
- These laws are working well, enjoy strong support, and are protecting patients.
- Data have shown that concerns about these laws increasing youth cannabis use are unfounded: Teen cannabis use rates have remained stable or decreased in most states.
The SC House of Representatives has scheduled a hearing on S150 for next week. So, if you want to see this legislation passed, please be vigilant in contacting your state Representatives today and the rest of this week. South Carolina: Ask your state lawmakers to support the S.C. Compassionate Care Act in 2022! (mpp.org)
Good luck. Same words and data that’s been shuffled around for years. Until the dinosaurs running South Carolina are extinct any form of medicinal marijuana won’t happen. It’s nice someone is still trying while sadly South Carolinians are dying. Move to another state. Many have. I had to in order to receive the treatment I needed. More useless words.
I pray this will become law in SC. Over the years I have helped several people use marijuana successfully for their terrible medical conditions. It’s a shame we have let people suffer for years because of the stupidity of our legislators.
Please help us vets and Cancer patients. We need help from our rep’s!
We need to remind that mindless prattle who they work for. They’re acting like alcohol is any better. Have you ever looked to see what those Demi Gods are being bribed to push chemical medicines agenda? Thousands of dollars to be sure chemical medicine has a monopoly in this country.
“Broad and sweeping in scope, § 1 of the Act states that “[e]very contract, combination in the form of trust or otherwise, or conspiracy, in restraint of trade or commerce among the several States, or with foreign nations, is declared to be illegal.” § 2 of the Act prohibits monopolization or attempts at monopolizing any aspect of interstate trade or commerce and makes the act a felony.” *
The Sherman Anti-trust act
That’s a government statute and they don’t have respect for their own law. Need more proof? The national cancer act make anything except chemo or radiation illegal to treat cancer. When DJT was singing Hydroxychloroquines praises, doctors weren’t allowed to prescribe it for covid.
We still have the best government money can buy. They call themselves honorable, they don’t know what the word means. We can’t get cannabis legalized because it’s the U.N. that made it illegal, we don’t vote for them. We need to remind them who they work for.