COLUMBIA, S.C. — If a Beaufort County, South Carolina state senator has his way the Palmetto State could join 36 states that have legalized medical marijuana. Wednesday night Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, debated the "SC Compassionate Care Act" on the State House floor after pushing for the legislation for more than seven years.
The bill would allow South Carolinians with certain medical conditions to buy and use medical cannabis. Patients would have to get special cards to carry with them and would need a doctor's note to obtain a card. The state would regulate dispensaries -- highly restricting the amount of the drug a patient can legally have in their possession.
WCNC -- asking where's the money? -- analyzed how the program would impact South Carolina's pocketbook.
WCNC Charlotte is always asking "where's the money?" If you need help, reach out to the Defenders team by emailing money@wcnc.com.
We separated what we discovered into two buckets:
- The financial impact on the South Carolina Department of Health and Environment Control (DHEC).
- The impact on the state law enforcement division (SLED).
Fiscal investigators say DHEC would take a $5 million financial hit in the first year if a medical marijuana program goes live. A chunk of that money would go toward salaries.
For SLED the fiscal impact would total more than $10 million in the first year, according to the state. A lot of that money would go toward hiring new employees to manage the program, training, and equipment.
There is a sales tax associated with the product, under the bill, but there are exemptions.
The bottom line: State financial experts simply don't know the budget impact from a potential medical marijuana program.
Contact Fred Shropshire at fred@wcnc.com and follow him on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.