COLUMBIA, S.C. — South Carolina senators voted late Wednesday night to advance legislation that would legalize certain forms of marijuana for medical use, sending the bill to the House, where its future is uncertain.
The Senate voted 28-15 after making several changes to the legislation that would allow people with doctor-approved medical conditions, such as cancer, glaucoma and multiple sclerosis, to use marijuana in the forms of oils, salves, vaporizers or patches.
South Carolinians could only get the marijuana through specific pharmacies.
Republican Sen. Tom Davis, the bill’s lead sponsor, celebrated its passage after he had waited seven years for the Senate to vote on the bill.
Davis, R-Beafuort, had made significant tweaks to the bill to appease other senators and law enforcement.
The final vote — passed by 17 Republicans and 11 Democrats — mildly surprised Davis, who watched even some of the chamber’s most socially conservative members vote to advance it.
“I guess right now, just gratitude to my colleagues in the Senate,” Davis told reporters after the vote. “What I was struck by is even those that were opposed to the bill, they could’ve just gone up there and ranted on it and given speeches and diatribes, but they didn’t do it.
“I mean, they made clear if they were opposed to the bill, but then they went ahead and did what good senators do, which is dig in to figure out how to make the bill better.”
Even with bipartisan support, conservative groups and some in law enforcement were vocal in their opposition to the legislation. That included the head of the state’s law enforcement department, Mark Keel, who said he would remain opposed to legalizing marijuana for medicinal purposes until it is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, among other measures.
House Republican leaders have been mum on the bill’s prospects in the lower chamber, and Gov. Henry McMaster — who remains close with House leaders — told reporters Tuesday it was too early to say whether he’d veto the legislation should it cross his desk.
“Premature to say,” McMaster said. “I’d have to see what’s in a bill if there is one.”
Full passage of the legislation would make South Carolina the 38th state to legalize marijuana for medical uses after Mississippi’s governor signed a bill into law this past week.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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