South-Carolina
Medical marijuana bill stuck in SC House as legislative work winds down
A yearslong effort to legalize marijuana strictly for medical use in South Carolina may have to wait another year.
There are less than two weeks left in the legislative session. As of Wednesday, that amounts to five days before lawmakers finish their work for the year.
And the bill championed by Republican Sen. Tom Davis that passed the Senate earlier this year remains stuck in a House committee.
“I intentionally, you know, got the Senate to move it up and move it quickly,” Davis told SC Public Radio. “It got passed out I think the first or second week in February to get it over to them in time. And, so, they’ve had over two months, and it’s just been sitting in committee. And, look, that is frustrating.”
Dubbed the “Compassionate Care Act,” the bill would only legalize marijuana for use in oils, patches, salves, and vaporizers.
It could only be prescribed by a doctor for certain uses. They include cancer, multiple sclerosis, sickle cell anemia, Crohn’s disease, neurological diseases, or disorders, like epilepsy, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Davis, a Beaufort-based senator, has advocated for medical cannabis use for a decade.
Two years ago, the Senate passed Davis’s proposal. The House threw it out on a technicality.
So, like in past years, Davis tightened the bill to appease wary colleagues.
“South Carolina is a more conservative state than California and New York and Illinois,” he said. “And, so, I don’t make any apologies for the fact that this is a very conservative, tightly regulated bill.”
Davis’ colleagues aren’t the only group the senator’s had to appease.
Most in law enforcement oppose it.
That includes State Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel.
“You know, I’ve heard some people say well, ‘Chief, we’ve got it in 33 other states, so what’s the difference?’ Well, we’re learning what’s happening in these 33 other states,” Keel testified last week at a S.C. House ad hoc committee. “We don’t have to be like them. South Carolina is different, and that’s why people are moving here, that’s why industry is coming here.”
In addition to his own warnings about the bill, Keel told lawmakers he might be willing to pull his opposition on one condition.
“The day that the FDA approves it, you’ll never see me downtown again. I’ll never be before another committee,” Keel testified.
There’s no way to say when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration might ever approve marijuana for medical use.
But Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that the Drug Enforcement Administration plans to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug.
It’s a huge policy shift that is sure to motivate proponents.
Supporters like Jeff Moore, the former 32-year director of the state’s Sheriff’s Association.
“It gave him a relief from the nightmares, the grief, the constant tears, and gave him a chance to put his life back together,” Moore told those same lawmakers last week about his son, a high school dropout who joined the Army at 18 and was deployed to Iraq.
Moore said he came home a different person after he witnessed the deaths of five friends and the death of a 6-year-old girl, killed by a grenade during a home search.
During a later deployment in South Korea, his son turned to alcohol.
That was his downfall, Moore said.
He moved to Michigan, where marijuana is legal, and was in and out of rehab.
Today he’s 36, married, holding a degree in psychology and sociology.
He now works with people who have substance abuse problems.
Moore credits his son’s turnaround in part to marijuana.
“He knows it because he’s been through it, he’s lived it and he’s come out the other end,” Moore testified through tears. “Wouldn’t you want that for your son? Wouldn’t you? I couldn’t be more proud of him. I couldn’t.”
Sen. Davis said that he’ll respect the outcome. He just wants to see a vote on the House floor.
If the bill fails to become law by May 9, it’ll have to be refiled next year.
South-Carolina
With 77 days until South Carolina football kicks off 2026 season, a look back at No. 77 George Schecterly
South Carolina football will take the field for the first time in 2026 on September 5 against Kent State. Williams-Brice Stadium will play host to the Gamecocks and Golden Flashes at 12:45 p.m., just 77 days from today.
The No. 77 is often worn by offensive linemen. One of two tough-nosed offensive tackles in a fun Gamecock era wore the number, as George Schechterly played for the Gamecocks from 1978 to 1980.
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Schechterly actually began his career at Penn State, playing for legendary coach Joe Paterno. However, as a redshirt, he didn’t meet the conditioning requirements to stay with the Nittany Lions. South Carolina gave him a second chance, and the offensive lineman dedicated himself to getting better. It paid off in a big way.
Despite being a little undersized, Schechterly earned a starting job at right tackle for the Gamecocks. He played opposite left tackle Chuck Slaughter, and the duo excelled at sealing off defensive ends with reach blocks.
That proved to be a big deal for South Carolina, as a running back named George Rogers made defenses pay on toss sweep plays. Of course, Rogers wound up winning the 1980 Heisman Trophy, and Schechterly and Slaughter provided a lot of assistance. The toss sweep play worked so well that the fanbase often joked that the best ideas in the team’s playbook were “George Sweep Right” and “George Sweep Left.”
See other jersey countdown stories like this on GamecockCentral.com.
That same 1980 season, Schechterly was an All-Independent selection at tackle and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the top overall blocker among Independent School blockers. He was USC’s only tackle ever to earn the honor, though several interior blockers did.
Following his graduation, Schechterly played briefly in the NFL, CFL, and USFL.
BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – Texas A&M baseball added left-handed pitcher, Logan Prisco, out of South Carolina through the transfer portal on Friday night.
Prisco worked as a relief pitcher for the Gamecocks this past season, appearing in 20 games. He posted a 3.45 ERA while tallying 34 strikeouts.
Prisco is the fifth pitcher the Aggies have picked up in the offseason along with Caleb Kimble (Houston), Johnny Nuanez (Wichita State), Jase Evangelista (UNLV) and Wade Cooper (Texas State). Prisco is the eighth overall player added to the Aggies roster this offseason.
Prisco will have two seasons of eligibility once he is in College Station.
Copyright 2026 KBTX. All rights reserved.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WACH) — Advocates, caregivers, patients, and community leaders gathered at the South Carolina State House on Friday for the inaugural South Carolina Sickle Cell Day.
Organizers said the event focused on raising awareness of sickle cell disease.
The South Carolina CBO Collective Caucus hosted the event at 10 a.m., coinciding with World Sickle Cell Day and Juneteenth.
Organizers said the gathering brought together healthcare professionals, legislators, advocates, and supporters from across the state to discuss education, support, and action related to sickle cell disease.
The program is designed to amplify the voices of individuals and families impacted by the disease and encourage conversations about healthcare access, advocacy, research, and community support, organizers said.
Attendees heard personal stories and learned about challenges faced by those living with sickle cell disease.
“World Sickle Cell Day is a powerful call to action for all of us,” said founder and CEO of The B Strong Group Brenda Green. She said the collaboration expands support, strengthens community response, and stands with affected families.
The B Strong Group, founded in 2017 and based in Columbia, is a nonprofit organization focused on sickle cell awareness, advocacy, and caregiver support.
The group organizes blood drives, caregiver workshops, and awareness campaigns under the motto “Educate, Advocate, Empower.”
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