South Carolina state Rep. Todd Rutherford currently has a bill in the state legislature that would legalize up to two ounces of cannabis for medical use for patients with doctor’s recommendations. The only problem is that it’s going nowhere.
So Rutherford took an interesting step this week to get more support, putting the measure on the Democratic primary ballot set for June 10 even though the vote wouldn’t actually do anything. Basically, it’s a statewide pot poll of Democrats.
Rutherford says if his measure doesn’t make it through this year, he’s going to use the results of his ballot measure to push for legislation next year.
While this may be the first year we are talking about medical marijuana in South Carolina, we are lagging behind the rest of the nation,” Rutherford said yesterday.
| South Carolina state Rep. Todd Rutherford. |
The South Carolina House has already approved a (do-nothing) medical cannabis bill this session, though it is limited to high-CBD cannabis extracts and only for patients with severe seizure disorders. But the bill requires that andy extracts have to be FDA approved — and at this time, there aren’t any. Nor will there be. The feds view all cannabis to be illegal.
Rutherford says his bill is needed to get people the relief they need now.
Clint Jackson, a former cop who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder, told a crowd yesterday at a press conference he’s tired of breaking the law just to feel better.
“I’ve tried twelve different medicines, and my doctor, all she can tell me is I’ve tried everything,” he said. “There’s nothing else that the medical community can do for me and this is my last, best hope. It’s all of our last, best hope.”
Other families have given up hope in South Carolina and – like many – moved to the greener pastures of a medical marijuana state. Steva Kiser says her daughter was left with no other option but to uproot and move to Colorado to get access for 2-year-old Ezra. Stories like theirs is what pushed him to write his bill.
“I would hope that they would not tell another parent, another grandparent that they have to watch their child, watch their grandchild suffer,” Rutherford said. “I can’t imagine for anybody to tell them your grandchild needs to suffer or move to Colorado. That’s just not what we should be about in South Carolina.”
Rutherford’s bill doesn’t have much time to get through. The bill has to be approved by the House by May 1, according to WBTW 13.