A South Carolina House committee on Monday discussed a Senate-passed bill to legalize medical marijuana in the state, with members hearing hours of testimony from a wide range of voices including military veterans and pharmacists. The House Medical, Military, Public, and Municipal Affairs Committee took up the legislation from Sen. Tom Davis (R) one week after a subcommittee voted unanimously to advance it. The Compassionate Care Act passed the full Senate in February. It was profiled 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. Since then, Davis has redoubled his efforts to get the bill across the finish line, arguing that South Carolina voters are ready for what he’s repeatedly called “the most conservative medical cannabis bill in the country.” Davis used his testimony to address House colleagues’ concerns that had been raised earlier in the hearing, including worries about the possibility of increased impaired driving post-legalization. “I keep hearing that if we authorize medical cannabis, there’s going to be an increase in impaired driving.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 04/04/2022 17:11:00