Medical cannabis law would have ‘negative impact’ on South Carolina communities, Myrtle Beach police chief says
MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WBTW) — Legalizing marijuana for medical use in South Carolina would bring more crime into cities and create even more hazards for law enforcement, Myrtle Beach’s top police officer said on Tuesday.
“What brings visitors to our area is our beaches and activities. Our visitors do not want to be exposed to this drug in public places. I say that because I hear that complaint,” Chief Amy Prock said at a state House subcommittee meeting. “Marijuana will negatively impact the activities and resources that make South Carolina communities desirable, South Carolina communities cannot afford that loss, and South Carolina cannot afford the negative impact of revenue.”
Marijuana use remains barred under federal law, but 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized it for recreational use and other 14 for medicinal purposes.
Proponents of South Carolina’s “Compassionate Care Act” say it would be America’s most conservative if it becomes law, and efforts to get it on the books have gained bipartisan support.
But influential voices in law enforcement including state Attorney General Alan Wilson and SLED Chief Mark Keel have taken a hardline stance against legalizing it for any reason.
“Simply put, this is a blank check to receive a large amount of high potency THC products every 14 days,” Keel told lawmakers on Tuesday. “When was the last time that we needed South Carolina legislation for medicine to be prescribed by a doctor or dispensed by a pharmacy? When medicine goes through the normal FDA process, a state law is not necessary.”
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.
A 2014 South Carolina 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.
The proposal 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.
“Physicians want it. Patients want it. This is something we need to do,” state Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, said at a March news conference where advocates urged the House to act.
Prock disgreed.
“We do not want South Carolina to be another state that can speak of increased DUIs and traffic death, increased teen suicide, increased teen use of other drugs and increased birth defects,” she said in Columbia. “We want South Carolina to be the state that supports the research and takes the time to present the best plan and relies on our federal government to make the needed changes.”
The Compassionate Care Act remains in the House Medical, Military and Public Affairs Committee.
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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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