by JUSTIN ALEXANDER || South Carolina senator Tom Davis’ Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) has been set for special order in the Palmetto State Senate, meaning it has been given a prominent place on the legislative calendar and will soon receive a vote. The Compassionate Care Act would legalize medical cannabis for those suffering from conditions like cancer pain, seizure disorder, and PTSD.
Opposing the bill? The leadership of the South Carolina Republican Party (SCGOP).
On January 21st, Republicans across the state received an email purportedly sent by their county sheriff. However, this email was actually sent (and paid for) by the SCGOP. One such email – received by a Greenville Republican – began as follows:
This is Hobart Lewis, Greenville County Sheriff. I’m writing to you personally because you need to know where law enforcement stands on an issue that’s making its way around the South Carolina statehouse.
To cut right to the chase, I am strongly against the bills trying to legalize “medical” marijuana in South Carolina.
Meanwhile, another email – received by an Aiken Republican – began as follows:
This is Mike Hunt, Aiken County Sheriff. I’m writing to you personally because you need to know where law enforcement stands on an issue that’s making its way around the South Carolina statehouse.
To cut right to the chase, I am strongly against the bills trying to legalize “medical” marijuana in South Carolina.
These emails are obviously exactly the same – literally word for word. Apparently, the SCGOP sent these emails out in the name of several sheriffs across the Palmetto State – urging Republicans to contact their elected officials and lobby against Davis’ bill. Clearly, the individual sheriffs in question didn’t actually write the letter. You might find this deceptive, or maybe a common strategy unworthy of comment. But the fact remains – SCGOP leadership is lobbying against a bill that would give medical relief to thousands.
SCGOP leadership is lobbying (or asking you to lobby) against a bill with multiple Republican sponsors, including Representative Jonathan Hill and Senators Davis and Larry Grooms.
What’s more, SCGOP leadership is lobbying (or asking you to lobby) against the will of a majority of South Carolinians. In a statewide poll conducted by Republican aligned polling firm Starboard Communications, 72% of those polled supported “allowing patients in South Carolina who suffer from serious medical conditions to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it”, with only 15% opposed. Starboard is a prestigious and highly accurate polling firm. The majority of South Carolinians – and the majority of Republicans – support medical cannabis in these circumstances.
On January 4, the SC Republican Liberty Caucus unanimously passed a resolution in support of the Compassionate Care Act. Ten days later, the Charleston County GOP passed a resolution in support of the Act by almost a 3:1 margin.
South Carolina’s Republican Party leadership shouldn’t be lobbying against the Compassionate Care Act, and they sure as hell shouldn’t be using party resources to do it.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
Justin Alexander is a conservative activist from the South Carolina Upstate.
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1 comment
This should surprise noone. The Republican leadership is a bunch of nazi, freedom hating, corrupt, fear-mongering, prohibitionist, lying assh*les. They dont care about the needs o g the people they only care about what laws they can pass or block that benefits them personally.
This should not even be a debate.
South Carolina is fkt. The people don’t have fair and equal representation, they have a super majority of fascist oveords who do nothing to actually represent the people they are supposed to be serving.
People here are suffering. This should be an easy win but once again Republicans fail to implement the will of their constituents.
So patients will continue to go to the illegal market hoping and praying yhe products they’re forced to purchase and consume won’t kill them or exacerbate whatever medical condition they may be suffering from.
When will South Carolina wake up. Why do they continue to vote for the people that will not actually represent them?