Senators kill studying effects of cannabis oil on SC inmates

An S.C. Senate panel quickly killed a proposal Tuesday that would have created a study committee to research the effects of cannabidiol oil — an active ingredient found in marijuana — on prison inmates with physical and mental illnesses.

The oil — used sometimes in place of prescription drugs — can be an effective treatment for people who suffer from epilepsy, schizophrenia and seizures, supporters say.

Originally suggested as a pilot program by state Rep. Mike Pitts, S.C. House budget writers adopted the proviso — or one-year rule — as part of the House's 2018-19 budget proposal in March.

The proposal would have given the S.C. Department of Corrections authorization to start a pilot program to study the oil's effects. The program was to be voluntary, and inmates would not have been forced to join it, the Laurens Republican said.

However, the idea never was supported by the state Corrections Department, which did not ask for it.

"I thought it was a joke," state Sen. Shane Martin, R-Spartanburg, who chairs the Senate's criminal justice subcommittee, said Tuesday.

The use of cannabidiol oil is not allowed under current U.S. Food and Drug Administration regulations. However, like some other states, South Carolina has a state law, Julian's Law, that allows patients with certain forms of epilepsy to use cannabidiol oil.

But using the oil on prison inmates is a step too far, said state Sen. Greg Hembree, R-Horry.

"Testing medical procedures on prisoners sounds like something out of really dark history in America," Hembree said Tuesday. "Sounds like something out of a movie."

This story was originally published March 20, 2018 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Senators kill studying effects of cannabis oil on SC inmates."