Senate Amendment 8
S 423 - Session 125 (2023-2024)
Compassionate Care Act

Senator Cash proposes the following amendment (SR-423.JG0014S):

Amend the bill, as and if amended, by striking SECTION 10 and inserting:

SECTION 10.  This act shall be repealed five years after first sales of medical cannabis from a therapeutic cannabis pharmacy to a qualifying patient. No later than 18 months prior to this repeal, the department shall survey all qualifying patients and designated caregivers enrolled in the program, certifying practitioners, medical cannabis establishments, and other stakeholders and invite public comment on whether the program should be re-enacted and if any changes should be made. No later than one year prior to this repeal, the department shall issue a written report to the South Carolina General Assembly that includes, but is not limited, to information compiled from previous annual reports, and that includes:
 (1) results from a survey and public comment;
 (2) the status of medical cannabis in other states, federally, and in other nations;
 (3) the department's findings on the appropriate number and geographical density of licenses for cultivation centers, processing facilities, therapeutic cannabis pharmacies, and independent testing laboratories;
 (4) the department's findings on the effectiveness of integrated operators and independent business types at providing patients a variety of product choices at reasonable prices;
 (5) any information submitted to the department by the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board;
 (6) a copy of each annual report provided to the South Carolina General Assembly which addresses the effectiveness of the medical cannabis program pursuant to Section 44-53-2550(A);
 (7) any recommendation for changes to the program provided to the General Assembly as part of the annual report pursuant to Section 44-53-2550(A);
 (8) all data collected regarding the safety and efficacy of cannabis products pursuant to Section 44-53-2540(B);
 (9) any research studies conducted pursuant to Section 44-53-2540(A);
 (10) the recommendation with regard to the scheduling of cannabis in the State of South Carolina pursuant to Section 44-53-2550(C);
 (11) an analysis of the effectiveness of the contracted seed-to-sale system;
 (12) the total annual sales made through licensed therapeutic cannabis pharmacies;
 (13) the total number of South Carolina residents employed within the South Carolina medical cannabis industry;
 (14) a list of the municipalities which have chosen to opt out of allowing medical cannabis establishments from operating within their jurisdiction;
 (15) information regarding and recalls which must include the medical cannabis establishment, the type and number of products recalled for each recall issued, and the number of patients who were sold recalled products;
 (16) a document which provides a description of the violation of department regulations, if any, including the penalties, fines, suspensions and/or revocation of licenses;
 (17) the number of violations by practitioners, if any; and
 (18) any other information that the department considers to be material to an assessment by the General Assembly on whether to renew this act.