Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
During the 2017 state legislative session, a bill was introduced that would legalize medical marijuana in South Carolina. Now an advocacy group is making preparations to push that bill across the finish line in 2018.
Compassionate SC, a group that, according to its website, is advocating "to provide patients safe and effective access to medicinal cannabis," will host an educational symposium Thursday. The keynote speaker at the gathering will be University of South Carolina Vice President for Research Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, who will discuss breakthroughs in cannabis studies.
Also scheduled to speak are state Rep. James Smith, a Democratic candidate for governor; and Jeff Moore, who is the former longtime director of the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association. Smith is one of a number of bipartisan sponsors of the Compassionate Care Act, the medical cannabis legislation that was introduced in the state House of Representatives in January.
The bill, which currently is in the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, would allow patients with certain debilitating medical conditions to get a prescription for medical cannabis. Under the proposal, the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control would regulate and license cannabis cultivation sites, laboratories and dispensaries.
Some of the qualifying medical conditions would include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease, agitation of Alzheimer's, PTSD, Parkinson's disease and a number of others. The bill would allow a patient – or their caregiver – to purchase or possess no more than two ounces of dried cannabis per 14-day period.
Medical cannabis currently is legal in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
Compassionate SC staff member Judy Ghanem stressed that the advocacy group's push is strictly in the medical realm.
"We have nothing to do with recreational [cannabis]," she says. "This is actually a very conservative bill."
Despite the fact that advocates feel the bill is conservative, and that it would only make way for regulated medical cannabis use, state law enforcement officials – most notably SLED Chief Mark Keel – haven't warmed to it. Keel has implied that legalization of medical use is simply a stepping stone to legalized recreational use.
"We've seen it in other states," Keel said in an August story in The Greenville News. "We've talked to folks in other states and quite frankly, medical marijuana states that went to legalization, went to legalization because they could not regulate medical marijuana. It got so difficult to try and regulate."
But Moore, who directed the state Sheriffs' Association for 32 years, feels differently. For him, it's personal issue. He says his son suffers from PTSD, a condition that resulted from two combat tours in Iraq. Moore says medical cannabis has helped his son cope with his ailments.
"It strikes me that many other states have made this available to people who, according to a doctor, need this as a medication, whether they be veterans or just people who have some debilitating disease or condition," Moore told Free Times. "I've sat through a lot of meetings and a lot of hearings and there is just no question in my mind that medical cannabis does have medical benefits to it.
"This isn't just people sitting around getting high all day."
For USC's Nagarkatti, the issue is clear. He says nearly two decades of research have shown the medical benefits of cannabis.
"We've been doing research on cannabinoids for over 17 years right now," Nagarkatti told Free Times. "We've made some very exciting observations. We were the first ones to demonstrate that cannabinoids can kill certain types of cancer cells, therefore they can be used in the treatment of cancer. We have also been able to show that cannabinoids are highly effective in preventing inflammation."
Nagarkatti says research has shown cannabis is very effective in helping patients cope with inflammatory issues such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis and colitis, among others.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Supporters Host Speakers to Drum Up Support for Bill | News | free-times.com
Author: Chris Trainor
Contact: Contact Us | Site | free-times.com
Photo Credit: Rappler
Website: free-times.com | Free Times | Columbia SC News, Events, Restaurants and Classifieds
Compassionate SC, a group that, according to its website, is advocating "to provide patients safe and effective access to medicinal cannabis," will host an educational symposium Thursday. The keynote speaker at the gathering will be University of South Carolina Vice President for Research Dr. Prakash Nagarkatti, who will discuss breakthroughs in cannabis studies.
Also scheduled to speak are state Rep. James Smith, a Democratic candidate for governor; and Jeff Moore, who is the former longtime director of the South Carolina Sheriffs' Association. Smith is one of a number of bipartisan sponsors of the Compassionate Care Act, the medical cannabis legislation that was introduced in the state House of Representatives in January.
The bill, which currently is in the House Medical, Military, Public and Municipal Affairs Committee, would allow patients with certain debilitating medical conditions to get a prescription for medical cannabis. Under the proposal, the state's Department of Health and Environmental Control would regulate and license cannabis cultivation sites, laboratories and dispensaries.
Some of the qualifying medical conditions would include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, Crohn's disease, agitation of Alzheimer's, PTSD, Parkinson's disease and a number of others. The bill would allow a patient – or their caregiver – to purchase or possess no more than two ounces of dried cannabis per 14-day period.
Medical cannabis currently is legal in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
Compassionate SC staff member Judy Ghanem stressed that the advocacy group's push is strictly in the medical realm.
"We have nothing to do with recreational [cannabis]," she says. "This is actually a very conservative bill."
Despite the fact that advocates feel the bill is conservative, and that it would only make way for regulated medical cannabis use, state law enforcement officials – most notably SLED Chief Mark Keel – haven't warmed to it. Keel has implied that legalization of medical use is simply a stepping stone to legalized recreational use.
"We've seen it in other states," Keel said in an August story in The Greenville News. "We've talked to folks in other states and quite frankly, medical marijuana states that went to legalization, went to legalization because they could not regulate medical marijuana. It got so difficult to try and regulate."
But Moore, who directed the state Sheriffs' Association for 32 years, feels differently. For him, it's personal issue. He says his son suffers from PTSD, a condition that resulted from two combat tours in Iraq. Moore says medical cannabis has helped his son cope with his ailments.
"It strikes me that many other states have made this available to people who, according to a doctor, need this as a medication, whether they be veterans or just people who have some debilitating disease or condition," Moore told Free Times. "I've sat through a lot of meetings and a lot of hearings and there is just no question in my mind that medical cannabis does have medical benefits to it.
"This isn't just people sitting around getting high all day."
For USC's Nagarkatti, the issue is clear. He says nearly two decades of research have shown the medical benefits of cannabis.
"We've been doing research on cannabinoids for over 17 years right now," Nagarkatti told Free Times. "We've made some very exciting observations. We were the first ones to demonstrate that cannabinoids can kill certain types of cancer cells, therefore they can be used in the treatment of cancer. We have also been able to show that cannabinoids are highly effective in preventing inflammation."
Nagarkatti says research has shown cannabis is very effective in helping patients cope with inflammatory issues such as multiple sclerosis, arthritis and colitis, among others.
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Medical Marijuana Supporters Host Speakers to Drum Up Support for Bill | News | free-times.com
Author: Chris Trainor
Contact: Contact Us | Site | free-times.com
Photo Credit: Rappler
Website: free-times.com | Free Times | Columbia SC News, Events, Restaurants and Classifieds
