COLUMBIA, S.C. (WCBD)- Saturday marks a high holiday for cannabis users nationwide, but people in South Carolina won’t be able to celebrate — at least not legally.
420 Day is an unofficial holiday recognized annually by weed enthusiasts on April 20. It is also a day used by advocates to reiterate calls for legalizing and decriminalizing marijuana.
The origins of the date and term “420” are murky, but it is widely believed to have started in the 1970s with a group of California high school students, according to the Associated Press.
Marijuana remains illegal under federal law, but 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Another 14 states allow people to use the drug for medical purposes only.
The use of marijuana is fully prohibited in South Carolina, but a bill working its way through the legislature could change that.
Senate Bill 423, known as the “South Carolina Compassionate Care Act” would legalize the limited use of medical marijuana, allowing doctors to treat patients with certain medical conditions with pot.
Sen. Tom Davis (R-Beaufort), who has been pushing the legislation for decades, called the proposal he crafted “the most conservative medical cannabis bill in the country.”
Only topical, oral, and vaporized products — including, but not limited to, patches, oils, ointments, tinctures, and edible forms — would be allowed under the bill. Smoking and burning…
