South Carolina’s Senate gave preliminary approval to a medical marijuana legalization bill on Wednesday. If the legislation clears a forthcoming third reading vote for final passage, which is expected on Thursday, it will formally proceed to the House of Representatives. Senators, who spent weeks debating the legislation and considering dozens of proposed amendments, voted 28-15 on the second reading passage Wednesday evening. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) said earlier this week that it was too early to comment on the proposal, as changes were still being made by lawmakers. “This is one that’s going to depend on a lot of things,” he told a local FOX station, adding that he’ll wait to see the final version before deciding whether he would potentially sign or veto the bill if if were to arrive on his desk. The Compassionate Care Act was prefilled in late 2020 and passed out of the Senate Medical Affairs Committee last March, but alone senator blocked it from reaching the chamber floor in 2021.

Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 02/09/2022 20:26:00

Open article: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/south-carolina-senate-approves-medical-marijuana-bill-on-initial-vote-after-weeks-of-debate/