Letter: South Carolina ‘Medical’ Marijuana Bill Is Not About Medicine

by MARK KEEL || When was the last time we needed South Carolina legislation to get a drug prescribed by a doctor or dispensed by a pharmacy? When drugs go through the normal FDA approval process, state legislation is not required.

But that’s not what we are dealing with when we talk about marijuana. Doctors can’t legally prescribe it. Pharmacists cannot dispense it legally. There is no way to precisely dose it. More like that 55-page invoice is an attempt to legislate the FDA approval process by creating a complex system for growing, processing, and dispensing marijuana that is still in violation of federal law.

This bill ultimately allows people to vape, eat, or ingest marijuana that has not undergone traditional medical review and is not FDA approved. This is a really dangerous statement. Perhaps that is why 77 percent of South Carolinians said marijuana should be regulated by the FDA in a 2016 Winthrop poll.

Unsurprisingly, many proponents of this bill use words like “prescribe” when discussing marijuana. They do this to make us all believe that this is handled like any other prescription drug. But the reality is that this narrative is just wrong. The marijuana allowed in this bill remains a List 1 drug, which means it cannot be legally mandated, dispensed by a pharmacy legally, and legally owned by individuals without violating federal law.

In medical marijuana states, pharmacies with no in-house medical staff in the neighborhood are popping up selling marijuana products of unknown efficacy, with no dosage instructions, and with flashy names designed to appeal to children. It is truly reprehensible how far some of these companies will go to target our youth with these dangerous products. This is especially true of vape products, foods, and oils, all of which are legalized under this legislation. In many cases, vape cartridges, oils, and edibles contain inappropriately small serving sizes mixed with incredibly high levels of THC. This is extremely dangerous, especially when it comes to our children, our most vulnerable.

In South Carolina and across the country, marijuana is the leading cause of addiction and treatment in minors between the ages of 12 and 17. I’ve spent my 43 years in law enforcement standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves. It is for this reason that I have consistently expressed my concerns about the legalization of marijuana in any form.

Of course, I have compassion for those with debilitating diseases. For this reason, however, I support continued clinical trials. Research; and forms of drugs that are legally purchased, FDA approved, prescribed by a doctor, and dispensed by a pharmacist. This is what medicine is in the 21st^st Century. This calculation does not follow this model, which is why, in my opinion, this calculation is not about medicine. It’s about legalizing marijuana in South Carolina.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …

(Via: SLED)

Mark Keel is a native of Barnwell, SC, who has served as a law enforcement officer for more than forty years. Since 2011 he has been head of the SC State Law Enforcement Division (NEXT). Previously, he was director of the SC Public Safety Department (SCDPS).

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