S.C. General Assembly does not hold any committee hearings concerning cannabis policy in 2025

“The medicine that saves my life every day is illegal in South Carolina. I am asking my fellow South Carolinians, please support your veterans by asking your legislators to support compassionate legislation to bring this relief to everyone who needs it.”

— J., a female South Carolina veteran with PTSD and a severely painful kidney condition that medical cannabis has dramatically helped

The South Carolina General Assembly adjourned on May 8, 2025, without having held a hearing on any cannabis legislation. It will return for the second half of its legislative session in January 2026. In past years, the Senate has twice passed medical cannabis legislation, but both times it died in the House.

The longtime champion of medical cannabis legislation in South Carolina, Sen. Tom Davis (R), sponsors the Compassionate Care Act — S.0053. A detailed summary of the legislation can be found here. With so many new members of the legislature, the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act will be heard by many unfamiliar with the details of previous versions, so contacting your legislators is more important than ever!

Senator Tom Davis (R) has worked for years to refine medical cannabis legislation to address concerns of his colleagues and opponents. It took several years to get through the Senate. Let your representative know voters want the House to give the carefully crafted legislation a vote, too.

It is critical that legislators hear that medical cannabis is a priority for their constituents. Let them know you want 2026 to be the year that South Carolina finally joins dozens of other states that give patients the medical freedom to use cannabis with a doctor’s certification.

And let us know if you are a patient who could benefit from medical cannabis, or a supportive medical professional, clergy member, veteran, or current or former member of law enforcement. Your voice is particularly powerful in this effort.

South Carolina continues to jail cannabis consumers

South Carolina is one of only 19 states that continues to jail individuals for possessing small amounts of marijuana.

Neighboring North Carolina passed a limited decriminalization law back in 1977. But in South Carolina, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports data shows more than 10,000 arrests for cannabis possession in South Carolina in 2023 alone.

H3110, sponsored by Rep. Chris Hart (D), would stop arresting and incarcerating people for possessing up to an ounce of cannabis and up to 10 grams of hashish. It would change the penalty from a misdemeanor to a fine-only civil penalty. Under existing law, a first offense carries up to 30 days in jail, in addition to a fine of $100-200. A subsequent offense carries up to a year in jail under current law, along with a fine of $200-1,000. Under H 3110, the jail time and criminal record would be removed and the fines would be unchanged.

Let your lawmakers know it’s past time to stop incarcerating people for using cannabis. 

Take action!

Speak out: If you live in South Carolina, urge your lawmakers to support medical cannabis legislation.

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