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SC Minority Leader Introduces Medical Marijuana Bill

RUTHERFORD FILES “PUT PATIENTS FIRST ACT” Columbia, SC – House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford (D-Columbia) filed legislation on Thursday to allow for the use of medical marijuana in South Carolina. Rutherfords’ bill, otherwise known as the “Put Patients First Act,” would authorize a person who has a “debilitating medical condition”…

RUTHERFORD FILES “PUT PATIENTS FIRST ACT”

Columbia, SC – House Minority Leader Todd Rutherford (D-Columbia) filed legislation on Thursday to allow for the use of medical marijuana in South Carolina. Rutherfords’ bill, otherwise known as the “Put Patients First Act,” would authorize a person who has a “debilitating medical condition” who has a medical verification form completed by a physician to register with DHEC to obtain a registry identification card to use medical marijuana. Examples of debilitating medical conditions would include cancer, glaucoma, positive status for HIV and AIDS, Cachexia, Epilepsy, and Multiple Sclerosis.

The bill also authorizes certain persons to act as caregivers for patients under limited circumstances as well as provides for the operation of dispensaries to cultivate, grow, and dispense marijuana for medical purposes.

Registered individuals would be allowed to possess up to six plants (3 mature) and two ounces of marijuana for medical use.

The bill also provides penalties for committing fraud in order to illegally obtain medical marijuana and defines it as a tangible item, therefore subjecting it to sales tax.

“The time has come to put aside archaic misconceptions of medical marijuana and put patients first,” said Rep. Rutherford. “I hear devastating stories every single day from people who are battling epilepsy or suffering from a brain tumor who desperately need medical marijuana to treat the debilitating symptoms. I want to help these people and the government should not be a barrier for them to get the medical services they need. Medical marijuana has been legal in South Carolina for three decades but the state has refused to initiate the process of allowing patients to obtain it and for licensed professionals to grow it. I refuse to let these people suffer any longer – it’s time to move forward and put the health of our citizens ahead of politics.”

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12 comments

Ha Ha March 6, 2014 at 1:55 pm

DOA

Reply
Original Good Old Boy March 6, 2014 at 2:04 pm

Unfortunately, you are probably right. There are more pressing and important issues such as nullification and prosecuting phony war heros.

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He's a dummy March 6, 2014 at 2:27 pm

If he’d been thinking he’d have introduced the bill while handing out doobs and burning one himself…or at least giving pot brownies to the assembly.

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Todd March 6, 2014 at 4:49 pm

the mans a former asst. solicitor focusing on narcotics, hmmmm?

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He's a dummy March 7, 2014 at 12:01 am

So we know he has access to the best shit, even more reason he’s a failure.

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Immortal Illumined March 7, 2014 at 10:45 am

of course, we are talking about the freedom denying south, centuries of practice

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Squishy123 March 6, 2014 at 3:03 pm

I wonder if those registry ID card will be as easy to get as handicapped placards?

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Scrappy March 6, 2014 at 9:21 pm

I sure hope so!

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todd March 6, 2014 at 4:44 pm

Hey Rutherford, where is the grow op, somewhere in Charleston County, eh?

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Todd March 6, 2014 at 4:46 pm

hey rutherford, wheres the grow op, somewhere in Charleston County?

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thug life March 6, 2014 at 7:35 pm

Ruther-fraud is nothing more than a thug with a law license.

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Thomas March 7, 2014 at 6:57 pm

Maybe you should add ‘cowardice in the face of the enemy’ as a medical condition…certainly they are smoking prescribed medical marijuana at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave for that.

A whole week has passed since Jean-Claude Kerrier visited Meet the Press, and nothing. Now it is Friday evening, still nothing from Obama regarding the Ukraine crisis…so now we wait for another round of Shuttle Diplomacy between the Sunday news shows to hear anything new on this crisis in Ukraine? They all must be stoned in the Democrat Party suffering from being yellow in the face of the enemy!

Reply

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