A medical cannabis bill is heading to the House floor in South Carolina after being approved 16-3 by the chamber’s Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee on Thursday, the Associated Press reports. It marks the first time a medical cannabis measure has made it to the full chamber in the eight years since a bill was first introduced to enact the reforms.
Under the measure, smoking is not permitted and patients would only have access to oil, salves, patches, or vape products. The bill includes a short qualifying conditions list, limited to patients with cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, sickle cell anemia, autism, and some post-traumatic stress disorder diagnoses. Doctors would also be required to meet with patients in person and patients would only be allowed a two-week supply at a time, according to News19.
The measure passed the Senate in February and Gov. Henry McMaster (R) has not indicated whether he would sign the bill if it is approved by the Legislature.
The Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee adopted two changes to the bill, including one to require criminal background checks for distributors and security plans for their businesses and another that would require patients to be notified of the exact strain and what ingredients are in the product.
More than 100 other amendments were proposed by Republican Rep. Vic Dabney but more than half were found out of order and Dabney pulled the rest after his concerns about the legislation were heard.
If approved, South Carolina would be the 38th state to allow some form of medical cannabis access. South Carolina lawmakers are currently on Easter Break and will return next week.
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