Cannabis
in South Carolina

South Carolina sets no lawful possession amount for recreational cannabis, and holding any quantity is a criminal offense (source). A first offense involving one ounce or less is a misdemeanor that can bring up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $100 to $200 (NORML; source). Anything over one ounce is a felony carrying up to five years of imprisonment or a $5,000 fine (NORML). Hashish has its own threshold. Simple possession of 10 grams or less is a misdemeanor with the same first-offense exposure of up to 30 days and a $100 to $200 fine (NORML). --- Notes for the editor No .gov sources were provided. Every citation above comes from an advocacy group (NORML) or a law firm blog. I recommend checking these figures against the South Carolina Code of Laws (Title 44, Chapter 53) before publishing. Repeat-offense penalties were left out. NORML says a second conviction for one ounce or less carries up to 1 year and $2,000. southc

South Carolina has no minimum age for a medical marijuana card because the state has no operating medical marijuana program (John Newkirk Law; South Carolina State Cannabis). Age rules have appeared only in proposed legislation. One summary of the Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) says that adults 18 and older could apply on their own, patients aged 18 to 23 would need certifications from two physicians rather than one, and anyone under 18 could take part only through an application made and overseen by a parent or guardian (South Carolina Marijuana Doctors). That bill died in the House in 2022 (South Carolina State Cannabis). A later version, S. 53, has remained stuck in committee (John Newkirk Law). Readers should treat these age thresholds as proposals, not current law. --- Notes for the editor No .gov sources were provided. Every

South Carolina law doesn't allow residents to grow cannabis at home, and it doesn't carve out a small personal-use allowance. Growing even a handful of plants, anything below 100, counts as a felony that can bring up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000 (NORML; South Carolina State Cannabis). Larger grows face much steeper consequences, so anyone thinking about planting should know that the state treats home cultivation as a serious crime, not a minor infraction. --- Notes for the editor: No official sources were provided. None of the nine URLs is a .gov site, so every citation comes from secondary sources. NORML is the most established of them. Before publishing, I'd recommend confirming the penalty against the South Carolina Code of Laws (Title 44, Chapter 53) or another official source. Penalties for larger grows were left out because the sources conflict. For 100–1,000 plants, NORML describes a mandatory minimum of 25 years and a $25,000 fine. southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical describes up to 25 years and a $25,000–$200,000 fine. I only said that larger grows carry "much steeper consequences." I left out any medical home-grow exception. southcarolinamarijuanacard.com/faq says patients "may be able to grow" at home. This conflicts with the other sources, and it is too vague to publish. I left out medical program status. DISA says South Carolina "permits medical marijuana." Veriheal says only low-THC oil is allowed. southcarolinastatecannabis.org and John Newkirk Law say medical use is illegal. I didn't cover this, although it may be relevant context for a home-grow entry. I didn't cover the topics the top results focus on. Those were medical card process, qualifying conditions, and application requirements. They're outside the scope of this paragraph, and the sources conflict on whether a card program exists at all.

South Carolina has no state agency licensing or overseeing medical marijuana dispensaries, because the state has no functioning medical cannabis program (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical; johnnewkirklaw.com). Lawmakers have tried to create one. The Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) died in the House in 2022 (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical), and a later version, Senate Bill 53, was introduced in January 2025 but has stalled in committee (johnnewkirklaw.com). The only medical exception is narrow. Under Julian's Law (S. 1035), patients with severe epilepsy, such as Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome, may use low-THC cannabis oil with a physician's certification (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical). --- Notes for the editor No .gov sources were provided. Every citation above is secondary. Before publishing, check against official sources such as the SC Legislature (scstatehouse.gov) and the SC Department of Public Health. I left out who administers the low-THC oil exception. None of the sources say which agency, if any, o

South Carolina has no functioning medical marijuana program, and marijuana remains illegal for both recreational and medical use (John Newkirk Law; South Carolina State Cannabis). Because the state has no licensed cannabis market, none of the sources we reviewed describe a cannabis-specific sales or excise tax that shoppers would pay at a dispensary counter. Lawmakers have filed bills that could change this. For example, Senate Bill 53, the Compassionate Care Act, would create a limited medical cannabis framework, but it has remained stuck in committee (John Newkirk Law). Until a program becomes law, we cannot report any tax rates for cannabis purchases in South Carolina. --- Notes for the editor No .gov sources were provided. Every

South Carolina does not allow on-site consumption because it allows no legal cannabis use at all, whether for adults or, beyond a narrow exception, for medical purposes. There are no dispensaries, lounges or licensed venues. Possessing one ounce or less is a misdemeanour under S.C. Code Ann. 44-53-370, punishable on a first offence by up to 30 days in jail or a fine of $100 to $200. Larger amounts and repeat offences carry heavier penalties. The one exception is Julian's Law, which lets certain patients with severe epilepsy use low-THC oil. The Compassionate Care Act, Senate Bill 53, would create a limited medical programme but remains in committee. None of the sources in this brief are government pages, so the statute text itself is the authority to check.

South Carolina does not currently offer a medical marijuana card, because the state has no functioning medical cannabis program (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical; johnnewkirklaw.com). Lawmakers have tried to create one. The Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) died in the House in 2022 (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical), and a later version, Senate Bill 53, was introduced in January 2025 but has stalled in committee (johnnewkirklaw.com). The main exception is a narrow one for low-THC, CBD-rich oil. Patients with severe epilepsy, including Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome, may use this oil with a physician's certification (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical; veriheal.com). Until new legislation passes, residents should be cautious about any service that offers a South Carolina medical marijuana card. --- Notes for the editor No .gov sources were provided. Every citation above is to a secondary source. Before publishing, please verify these points against official sources, such as the SC Legislature (scstatehouse.gov) and SC DPH/DHEC. The sources disagree on whether a program exists. Sources 2, 6, and 7 describe card applications, fees ($75), age rules, caregivers, and renewals. Sources 4, 5, 8, and 9 say no medical program exists. Source 2 itself calls S. 150 "proposed." Source 1 lists SC as "permitting" medical marijuana, which likely counts the low-THC exception. I followed the majority and the more specific legal sources, and I left

South Carolina has no comprehensive medical marijuana program, so no broad list of conditions qualifies a patient for a medical cannabis card (source; source). The one recognized exception is narrow. Patients with severe epilepsy, including Lennox-Gastaut syndrome and Dravet syndrome, may use low-THC cannabis oil with a physician's certification (source; source). Some sites list conditions such as chronic pain, multiple sclerosis, PTSD and terminal illness, but those lists come from proposed bills, not current law (source; [source](https://www.

South Carolina has no application process for a medical marijuana card because the state has no functioning medical marijuana program (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical; johnnewkirklaw.com). The only exception covers people with severe epilepsy, including Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome, who may use low-THC cannabis oil with a physician's certification (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical). Proposed legislation, the Compassionate Care Act, would create a card system. Under that proposal, applicants would need a written certification from a registered South Carolina physician, a state driver's license or ID proving residency, a completed application form, and a non-refundable fee

South Carolina patients cannot renew a medical marijuana card because the state has no working medical cannabis program to issue one (John Newkirk Law; South Carolina State Cannabis). The Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) was defeated in the House in 2022 (South Carolina State Cannabis). A later version, Senate Bill 53, was filed in January 2025 and has been stalled in committee (John Newkirk Law). The only medical exception is narrow. Under Julian's Law, people with severe epilepsy, including Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome, may use low-THC CBD oil with a physician's certification (South Carolina State Cannabis). Renewal steps, fees, and deadlines would only be set if lawmakers pass a program, so patients should check back if a bill is enacted. --- Notes for the editor No official sources. None of the provided sources is a .gov site. Every citation above com

South Carolina has no functioning medical marijuana program, so there is no state card system for which a telemedicine visit could issue a certification (John Newkirk Law; South Carolina State Cannabis). Lawmakers have tried to change this. The earlier Compassionate Care Act (S. 150) died in the House in 2022 (South Carolina State Cannabis). A newer version, Senate Bill 53, was introduced in January 2025 and has been reported as stalled in committee (John Newkirk Law). The main exception is narrow. Patients with severe epilepsy, such as Lennox-Gastaut or Dravet syndrome, may use low-THC cannabis oil with a physician's certification (South Carolina State Cannabis; Veriheal). Because no statewide program exists, any online service offering a "South Carolina medical marijuana card" should be viewed with caution. --- Notes for the editor No .gov sources were provided. Every citation above comes from secondary sites. Before publishing, I recommend confirming these points

South Carolina has no functioning medical marijuana program, and cannabis remains illegal for both recreational and medical use (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical; johnnewkirklaw.com). The state has no medical cannabis registry and no licensed dispensaries, so a medical card from another state has nothing to connect to here. Possession of any amount of marijuana is a criminal offense (johnnewkirklaw.com), and first-offense possession of an ounce or less is a misdemeanor that can bring up to 30 days in jail and a fine (norml.org). The only medical carve-out is a narrow allowance for certain patients with severe epilepsy, including Lennox-Gastaut and Dravet syndrome, to use low-THC cannabis oil with a physician's certification (southcarolinastatecannabis.org/medical). Visitors should not assume an out-of-state card offers any legal protection in South Carolina. --- Notes for the editor No official sources. None of the provided sources is a .gov site. Every claim above comes from secondary sources. Please check them against the SC Code or the SC Department of Public Health before publishing. Reciprocity isn't stated directly. Sources 5 and 9 have "reciprocity" headings, but the extracted facts don't include what those sections say. I did not write "South Carolina does not offer reciprocity