SC cannabis supporters urge lawmakers to change stance on marijuana

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO) — According to a Winthrop University poll, 76 percent of South Carolinians support marijuana for medicinal use and 56 percent for recreational use.

However, for now, cannabis is still fully illegal in South Carolina.

Currently in the US, 24 states have legalized marijuana for recreational use and 38 for medicinal  use. However, one of those is not South Carolina. Wednesday at the statehouse, many people were asking people to change that.”

“You are going to have people smoking it, but what’s the difference between that and alcohol,” said Michael Harvey, cannabis nurse educator. “How many people die from alcohol use? How many people die from cannabis use?”

Wednesday at a rally at the statehouse, Senator Deon Tedder spoke about a proposed bill that would not allow the smell of marijuana alone to be a probable cause to search a vehicle.

“I’d like to reiterate that marijuana is still illegal in South Carolina. This bill does not legalize marijuana,” the senator said. “What it does is protect citizens from unreasonable and illegal searches and seizures.”

The senator also supports another bill concerning cannabis.

“Statewide we need to decriminalize it,” Tedder said. “We spend too much time arresting people for marijuana when there are other things we could be focused on.”

For the past few years, Senator Tom Davis has championed a bill that would legalize medical marijuana for medicinal use which is something that has support from many of the state’s veterans.

“Whether it was my back or neck pain, GI issues or getting a great night’s sleep, cannabis has helped me extremely in my life,” said Marine veteran Cody Callarman “Going to the VA and getting pills should not be my only solution.”

Not just veterans claim that cannabis is a safer alternative for pain relief compared to opioids and other drugs.

“Cannabis has helped me cope with flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, fear and insomnia,” said a speaker at the rally. “When smoked, cannabis starts working almost instantly for most of my symptoms.”

“If we’re going to continue that war on cannabis, that’s fine,” Callarman said. “But can we at least get the sick and injured off the battlefield?”

It appears that for yet another legislative session, lawmakers will continue to try to push the medical marijuana bill to Governor Henry McMaster’s desk.