Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Charleston, SC?
Facts on this page were checked against official sources, including S.C. Code Title 44, Chapter 53 and the South Carolina Legislature’s record for S. 53, by the Dr. Green Relief editorial team. Sources, checked October 28, 2026: the CBD exception and its written certification are from S.C. Code 44-53-110(27)(b)(vi) and (c), and no section of Title 44, Chapter 53 creates a medical marijuana card or a card fee; the history of the Compassionate Care Act bills is from the Legislature’s records for S. 150 and S. 423. Last reviewed October 29, 2026.
Medical marijuana is not legal in Charleston. South Carolina issues no medical marijuana card, though a physician licensed in South Carolina may certify a patient with severe epilepsy for low-THC CBD. Charleston patients face the same statewide rule as everyone else: possessing marijuana is a crime under S.C. Code section 44-53-370.
Want to know where the law stands? South Carolina’s Compassionate Care Act passed the Senate in 2022 and 2024 but never the House, and the 2025 bill, S. 53, has not left a Senate committee. Our South Carolina marijuana laws page traces the history of those bills and the state’s CBD rule for severe epilepsy.
Charleston residents can follow each Compassionate Care Act bill, its committee and every vote on the South Carolina Legislature’s official bill pages. Hemp products with 0.3% delta-9 THC or less are not marijuana under the 2019 Hemp Farming Act, S.C. Code section 46-55-10. Marijuana itself stays in Schedule I of South Carolina’s own drug schedules, S.C. Code section 44-53-190. If a Compassionate Care Act ever passes, S. 53 would require a physician’s written certification and a state registry card before any Charleston patient could buy.
A physician licensed in South Carolina can certify low-THC CBD use, not a card
Possession and cultivation of marijuana are currently illegal in South Carolina.
*South Carolina has no medical marijuana registry, card or state certification form.
A physician licensed in South Carolina can certify low-THC CBD use, not a card
Possession and cultivation of marijuana are currently illegal in South Carolina.
*South Carolina has no medical marijuana registry, card or state certification form.
What Does South Carolina Law Mean for Marijuana Doctors in Charleston?
South Carolina’s Senate has passed the Compassionate Care Act twice: S. 150 cleared second reading 28 to 15 in February 2022, and S. 423 passed 24 to 19 in February 2024. No medical card protects a Charleston patient from a possession charge under S.C. Code 44-53-370. S. 53 would cover cancer, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy and other neurological disorders, PTSD, Crohn’s disease, sickle cell anemia, ulcerative colitis, autism and terminal illness.
S. 53 would not allow smoking cannabis, and its therapeutic cannabis pharmacies would need a Board of Pharmacy permit and a Department of Public Health registration. No Charleston marijuana doctor can enroll you in a state patient registry, because South Carolina keeps none. Holding more than an ounce is prima facie evidence of intent to distribute, a felony with up to five years for a first offense. Dr. Green Relief has no office in South Carolina and does not offer evaluations there, in person or by telehealth. There is no Charleston marijuana card to get, because no law creates one.
SOUTH CAROLINA FACTS
No State Card Issued
No Licensed Dispensaries
First Ounce: Up To 30 Days
0.9% THC CBD For Severe Epilepsy
South Carolina Medical
Marijuana Card Program
There is no South Carolina Medical Marijuana Card Program to join in 2026. The Senate passed the Compassionate Care Act in February 2022 (S. 150) and again in February 2024 (S. 423), but the House ruled the first out of order and never moved the second out of committee. The 2025 version, S. 53, has sat in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee since January 14, 2025.
Muscle Spasms
Cachexia
Multiple Sclerosis
Cancer
Sickle Cell Anemia
Nausea
Crohn’s Disease
Epilepsy
PTSD
South Carolina
Marijuana Card Cost
South Carolina charges no card fee because it issues no card. Under S. 53, the Department of Public Health would set registry fees.
South Carolina
Medical Marijuana Laws
South Carolina makes possessing marijuana a crime, and state law makes no exception for a medical card from another state.
Are There Marijuana Dispensaries in Charleston?
Charleston has no marijuana dispensaries, because South Carolina licenses none. In Charleston County, part of the Ninth Judicial Circuit, a magistrate or municipal judge may grant conditional discharge for a first possession charge with the circuit solicitor’s approval.
KNOW THE LAW FIRST
South Carolina Marijuana Law At A Glance
South Carolina
Card Status
No card issued
No Patient Registry
No Licensed Dispensaries
No Card Fee Or Card Term
Out-Of-State Cards Not Valid
South Carolina
CBD Exception
0.9% THC or less
More Than 15% CBD
Severe Epilepsy Only
Law Requires SC Physician Certification
Dated, Signed Certification
South Carolina
Possession Penalties
30 days max, first offense
1 Oz Or Less: Misdemeanor
First Offense: $100 To $200 Fine
Repeat: Up To 1 Year, $1,000
First Offense: Conditional Discharge Possible
WHO THE CBD EXCEPTION COVERS
South Carolina Updates
South Carolina has no medical marijuana program today.
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OTHER SOUTH CAROLINA CITY GUIDES
