A new poll has revealed that a majority of South Carolinians are in favor of legalizing cannabis for medical use.
Benchmark Research is behind the poll that shows 72% of 400 South Carolinians that were polled support legalizing the drug for medicinal use. This includes 84% Democrats, 78% Independents, and 63% Republicans.
According to Bill Nettles, who served as the United States attorney for the District of South Carolina from 2010 to 2016, the 72% represents a “good, solid number.”
“That’s what we’re seeing,” he said. “Government officials need to get out of the way of the will of the people.”
The poll has a 4.46% margin of error and has been embraced by key committees in both the state’s House and Senate.
Janel Ralph of Conway, executive director of the Compassionate South Carolina patient advocacy group commented, “This is the third poll that shows that the people of South Carolina are in favor of medical marijuana. Legislators are going to have to start looking at it seriously now.”
Ralphs has said that a comprehensive “compassionate care” bill that would legalize the cultivation and dispensing of medical marijuana has a good chance of passing in the upcoming two-year legislative session.
She explained, “It’s just time.”
