Grand Strand, Pee Dee residents overwhelmingly support medical marijuana law, poll shows
COLUMBIA S.C. (WBTW) — Nearly 9 out of 10 people across the Grand Strand and Pee Dee favor medical marijuana use — reflecting strong support statewide even as political opposition in Columbia continues to stymie efforts at enacting such a law.
That’s according to results of a March 11 Mason-Dixon survey of 625 registered voters that showed overall, 83% would support a medical cannabis bill. Locally, 86% back the idea.
“Physicians want it. Patients want it. This is something we need to do,” state Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, said at a Tuesday news conference. “This bill is about medical freedom.”
The state Senate has twice approved Davis’ S. 423, better known as the “South Carolina Compassionate Care Act.”
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But it’s been idle in a House committee since February despite bipartisan support.
“I believe that this medical cannabis bill would be the next step in helping (patients) get the relief that they so desperately need,” state Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Summerville, said.
A 2014 law lets patients with severe epilepsy use cannabis-rich products high in CBD but low in THC, the substance in marijuana that triggers feelings of being high.
The Compassionate Care Act goes a step further by creating a state-regulated medical cannabis program giving patients access to products with a doctor’s recommendation.
It bars cannabis smoking, home cultivation and raw consumption.
“It’s the most conservative, tightly regulated cannabis bill in the country,” Davis said. Currently, 39 states have medical cannabis laws on the books.
It most recently made it through the Senate on Feb. 14 on a 29-13 vote. Luke Rankin, an Horry County Republican, and Darlington Democrat Gerald Malloy were among those in favor, while Greg Hembree, R-North Myrtle Beach, was opposed.
Teshieka Curtis-Pugh, executive director of the state’s 80,000-member nursing association, said her organization supports the ability for patients to access medical cannabis.
It can control vomiting for patients undergoing chemotherapy, aid with insomnia and reduce pain for people with rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis, among other conditions, she said.
“It’s not just a bill. It’s not just a piece of legislation. This is true compassion for the pepole of our state,” she said.
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Adam Benson joined the News13 digital team in January 2024. He is a veteran South Carolina reporter with previous stops at the Greenwood Index-Journal, Post & Courier and The Sun News in Myrtle Beach. Adam is a Boston native and University of Utah graduate. Follow Adam on X, formerly Twitter, at @AdamNewshound12. See more of his work here.
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