Orangeburg Residents Wait for Medical Marijuana While SC Debates New Bill

In June 2014, South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley signed a limited medical marijuana bill into law, to grant a handful of suffering patients and their families immunity from prosecution while they used medical marijuana in the state of South Carolina.

The bill legalized CBD oil, or cannabidiol, which is an oil derived from the compound in marijuana believed to have therapeutic properties. The oil contains little THC, the compound that created the euphoria or “high” that many recreational users seek.

However, the 2014 medical marijuana bill failed to provide a way for medical marijuana prescriptions to get to those families in South Carolina. There were no standards for growing marijuana, processing the drug into CBD oil, or for purchasing the drug and safely and legally bringing it over state lines.

South Carolina Lawmakers Debate Updates to Medical Marijuana Legislation

For the 2015 legislative session, South Carolina’s lawmakers will debate expansions to the original piece of medical marijuana legislation, which could provide farmers with specific licenses to grow medical marijuana in certain amounts, and allow certain doctors to prescribe the drug for the legal medical conditions listed in the original bill. The bill may also allow farmers to grow hemp and sell it for industrial and commercial purposes.

However, while lawmakers in South Carolina debate this legislation, South Carolina’s strict drug laws are still in force. If you are found with any amount of marijuana on your person, even if you have a legitimate prescription in a different state, you may be charged with possession or trafficking, and could spend time in jail.

I Have a Legitimate Medical Marijuana Prescription but I Still Face Drug Charges!

If you have been arrested for drug charges like possession or trafficking in South Carolina, even if you have a legitimate medical marijuana prescription, you could also face federal drug charges. The marijuana drug crimes defense attorneys at the Strom Law Firm keep up with recreational and medical marijuana law changes across the country, and since we are based in South Carolina, we understand this state’s complicated and harsh drug laws. Contact us today for a free, confidential case evaluation.