Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
The South Carolina State Legislature has only been in session for two months, yet over half a dozen bills related to cannabis have been introduced. One of those bills, The Compassionate Care Act (CCA), would establish a medical cannabis program which would give patients with severe and debilitating conditions access to legal, safe, and regulated cannabis under the supervision of their physician. This bill is receiving widespread, bi-partisan support in both the Senate and the House, but it certainly faces its share of opposition.
Some of the most vocal objections come from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Members of the law enforcement community have demonstrated their objections to the bill by showing up to legislative hearings in large numbers and frequently reciting rhetoric based on outdated statistics and stigma-induced misinformation.
Mark Keel, chief of SLED, stated in his testimony before the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee in February that medical cannabis would cause a rise in the marijuana black market, crime, and would prove to be a gateway drug for our state's youth. Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana laws (MML).
The marijuana black market will not be eliminated overnight. However, as more states enact cannabis laws, the black market will diminish. There is no way to prevent diversion after the point of sale, but the same can be said about prescription medication. Across America, states are seeing a decrease in crime, and in the states with MML, crime has fallen an additional 5 percent. There is a proven relationship between states with MML and a drop in both violent crime and property crime. States with MML are also seeing a drop in the number of prescription medication-related deaths providing a strong counter-argument to the "Gateway Drug" theory.
In fact, the DARE program removed marijuana from its list of gateway drugs one year ago, and last month the Drug Enforcement Administration removed a report from its website that had named cannabis as a gateway drug. A nationwide opiate epidemic is on the rise and, in South Carolina, we saw nearly as many opioid-related deaths as we did those related to traffic accidents in 2015. Meanwhile, in states with MML, the rate of prescription painkiller deaths dropped over 25 percent causing many experts to declare cannabis the "exit drug."
Last week, Greenville Chief of Police Ken Miller contributed a guest column to The Greenville News in which he stated his objections to the CCA. Chief Miller mentioned that money laundering operations would emerge, fake registration cards would be used, and dispensaries would "pop up on main streets, [in] malls, and [in] shopping centers."
The Compassion Care Act has been meticulously written. The bill includes provisos that would combat money laundering by allowing for the establishment of state chartered credit unions through which the medical cannabis industry in South Carolina could safely handle their banking needs. The bill also establishes the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) as the regulatory agency for the medical cannabis program. DHEC will establish rules regarding the creation and operation of cultivation centers, processing facilities, dispensaries, and private testing laboratories.
They will also be the department responsible for issuing registration cards to patients and caregivers. These cards will be HIPAA-compliant and will be tightly monitored through identification protection and management software. In addition to the patient's registration card, the individual will also be required to show at least one other form of identification to be able to purchase cannabis at a dispensary. All these steps will ensure that a "fake registration card" market does not happen.
The CCA also contains provisions that establish the number of growers (15), processors (30), and dispensaries that will be allowed in the state. Each county will be allowed one dispensary for every 10 pharmacies. Greenville County encompasses a large area which is home to almost 500,000 people. Within the county there were 130 registered pharmacies in 2016. Based on the regulations in the CCA, there would be 13 dispensaries in Greenville county; approximately one dispensary for every 38,000 people. The city and county municipalities will also be allowed to regulate the location of the dispensary. Clearly, they won't be on every street corner as Chief Miller implied.
It is obvious to see that the reasons for the objections voiced by Chief Keel and Chief Miller against the Compassionate Care Act do not align with the regulations that are set forth in the bill. It is time for a change in their perspective on cannabis legislation. The leaders of the law enforcement community need to be properly educated so they can protect in truth and serve with compassion.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Policing New Cannabis Laws Will Take Education And Compassion
Author: Emily McSherry
Contact: 800-736-7136
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Greenville Online
Some of the most vocal objections come from the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). Members of the law enforcement community have demonstrated their objections to the bill by showing up to legislative hearings in large numbers and frequently reciting rhetoric based on outdated statistics and stigma-induced misinformation.
Mark Keel, chief of SLED, stated in his testimony before the Senate Medical Affairs subcommittee in February that medical cannabis would cause a rise in the marijuana black market, crime, and would prove to be a gateway drug for our state's youth. Twenty-eight states plus the District of Columbia have enacted medical marijuana laws (MML).
The marijuana black market will not be eliminated overnight. However, as more states enact cannabis laws, the black market will diminish. There is no way to prevent diversion after the point of sale, but the same can be said about prescription medication. Across America, states are seeing a decrease in crime, and in the states with MML, crime has fallen an additional 5 percent. There is a proven relationship between states with MML and a drop in both violent crime and property crime. States with MML are also seeing a drop in the number of prescription medication-related deaths providing a strong counter-argument to the "Gateway Drug" theory.
In fact, the DARE program removed marijuana from its list of gateway drugs one year ago, and last month the Drug Enforcement Administration removed a report from its website that had named cannabis as a gateway drug. A nationwide opiate epidemic is on the rise and, in South Carolina, we saw nearly as many opioid-related deaths as we did those related to traffic accidents in 2015. Meanwhile, in states with MML, the rate of prescription painkiller deaths dropped over 25 percent causing many experts to declare cannabis the "exit drug."
Last week, Greenville Chief of Police Ken Miller contributed a guest column to The Greenville News in which he stated his objections to the CCA. Chief Miller mentioned that money laundering operations would emerge, fake registration cards would be used, and dispensaries would "pop up on main streets, [in] malls, and [in] shopping centers."
The Compassion Care Act has been meticulously written. The bill includes provisos that would combat money laundering by allowing for the establishment of state chartered credit unions through which the medical cannabis industry in South Carolina could safely handle their banking needs. The bill also establishes the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) as the regulatory agency for the medical cannabis program. DHEC will establish rules regarding the creation and operation of cultivation centers, processing facilities, dispensaries, and private testing laboratories.
They will also be the department responsible for issuing registration cards to patients and caregivers. These cards will be HIPAA-compliant and will be tightly monitored through identification protection and management software. In addition to the patient's registration card, the individual will also be required to show at least one other form of identification to be able to purchase cannabis at a dispensary. All these steps will ensure that a "fake registration card" market does not happen.
The CCA also contains provisions that establish the number of growers (15), processors (30), and dispensaries that will be allowed in the state. Each county will be allowed one dispensary for every 10 pharmacies. Greenville County encompasses a large area which is home to almost 500,000 people. Within the county there were 130 registered pharmacies in 2016. Based on the regulations in the CCA, there would be 13 dispensaries in Greenville county; approximately one dispensary for every 38,000 people. The city and county municipalities will also be allowed to regulate the location of the dispensary. Clearly, they won't be on every street corner as Chief Miller implied.
It is obvious to see that the reasons for the objections voiced by Chief Keel and Chief Miller against the Compassionate Care Act do not align with the regulations that are set forth in the bill. It is time for a change in their perspective on cannabis legislation. The leaders of the law enforcement community need to be properly educated so they can protect in truth and serve with compassion.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Policing New Cannabis Laws Will Take Education And Compassion
Author: Emily McSherry
Contact: 800-736-7136
Photo Credit: None Found
Website: Greenville Online
