Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Columbia, 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. Last reviewed October 19, 2026.
Medical marijuana is not legal in Columbia: 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. Columbia is where that could change, at the South Carolina State House on 1100 Gervais Street.
Want to know if a bill is moving? H. 3019, the Put Patients First Act, has sat in a House committee since January 14, 2025, with no vote. For the history behind bills like this one, see our South Carolina marijuana laws page.
Each bill’s status, votes and text are posted on the South Carolina Legislature’s official site. No medical cannabis card is available to Columbia residents, or anyone else in the state, in 2026. Julian’s Law, added by Act No. 221 in 2014, allowed FDA expanded-access CBD trials for refractory epilepsy at academic medical centers. Columbia has no Dr. Green Relief office; the company’s offices are in Florida and in Las Vegas, Nevada.
If the state ever creates a program, S. 53 would have the South Carolina Department of Public Health run the patient registry. A first possession charge for an ounce or less carries up to 30 days or a $100 to $200 fine. There is no Columbia marijuana card to register for until the law changes.
South Carolina physicians may certify low-THC CBD, but no card exists
Growing or possessing marijuana
remains illegal in South Carolina.
*South Carolina prints no patient card, and the CBD certification is a document the physician dates and signs.
South Carolina physicians may certify low-THC CBD, but no card exists
Growing or possessing marijuana remains illegal in South Carolina.
*South Carolina prints no patient card, and the CBD certification is a document the physician dates and signs.
What Does South Carolina Law Mean for Marijuana Doctors in Columbia?
S. 423, filed in 2023, passed the Senate 24 to 19 on February 14, 2024, then stalled in a House committee. Today a doctor’s written certification under the CBD exception covers qualifying cannabidiol, not marijuana.
S. 53 names PTSD, autism, cancer and multiple sclerosis, but anxiety and depression are not on its list. Under S. 53, adding a condition would be up to a Medical Cannabis Advisory Board.
No Columbia marijuana doctor can register you for a South Carolina medical marijuana card, because the state keeps no patient registry. Anyone holding more than an ounce faces a presumption of intent to distribute, a felony that carries up to five years for a first offense. First offenders may qualify for conditional discharge, and later expungement, under section 44-53-450.
COLUMBIA AT A GLANCE
South Carolina Prints No Card
No Dispensary Is Licensed
Up To 30 Days For A First Ounce
Severe Epilepsy: CBD Up To 0.9% THC
South Carolina Medical
Marijuana Card Program
South Carolina has no Medical Marijuana Card Program to join in 2026. The Senate passed the Compassionate Care Act twice, in February 2022 (S. 150) and February 2024 (S. 423), but the House ruled S. 150 out of order and left S. 423 in committee. The current bill, S. 53, has waited 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
There is no card fee in South Carolina, since the state issues no card. If S. 53 passed, the Department of Public Health would set the registry fees.
South Carolina
Medical Marijuana Laws
Possessing marijuana is a crime in South Carolina, and the law has no exception for a medical card issued by another state.
Are There Marijuana Dispensaries in Columbia?
There is no licensed marijuana dispensary in Columbia, or anywhere else in South Carolina. Any change would have to pass the General Assembly in Columbia, and S. 53 is still in the Senate Medical Affairs Committee.
KNOW THE LAW FIRST
South Carolina Marijuana Law At A Glance
South Carolina
Card Status In Columbia
No card exists
No Registry Kept By The State
No Dispensary Is Licensed
No Fee And No Card Term
Other States’ Cards Not Accepted
South Carolina
CBD Law Set At The State House
0.9% THC at most
CBD Content Above 15%
Limited To Severe Epilepsy
Certified By A South Carolina Physician
Certification Must Be Dated And Signed
South Carolina
Penalties In Columbia
30 days at most for a first offense
An Ounce Or Less Is A Misdemeanor
$100 To $200 Fine On A First Offense
Later Offenses: Up To 1 Year, $1,000
Conditional Discharge May Be Available
PROTECTION FOR CERTIFYING PHYSICIANS
South Carolina Updates
South Carolina has no medical marijuana program today.
Sign up below for Dr. Green Relief updates on South Carolina law.
"*" indicates required fields
OTHER SOUTH CAROLINA CITY GUIDES
