Palmetto State News

A former South Carolina congressman with aspirations of being the state’s next governor has revealed his plan to legalize marijuana.

Joe Cunningham, a Democrat, asserts the plan will raise revenue through taxing money that is already moving in the black market, and to free the police so they can focus on violent crime.

Cunningham took to social media to criticize the criminalization of marijuana.

“The war on marijuana was never based on science or data,” he tweeted July 12. “It was based on fear, prejudice, and lies. And it [has] hurt our state. It’s time to tell the truth and safely end the prohibition of marijuana in South Carolina.”

Cannabis is illegal in South Carolina, with the prohibition of its recreational and medical use.

However, low-THC/high-CBD oil is legal, provided growers and processors must undergo a licensing and permitting process, cannabis education site Leafly said.

Penalties for illicit pot possession in the state range from 30 days in jail to a five-year prison sentence.

Cunningham, 39, unveiled a four-part for legalization on his gubernatorial campaign website: 1) Legalize marijuana for medical and recreational use; 2) Raise revenue through legalization and responsible regulation; 3) Offer South Carolinians a second chance; 4) Create jobs and give local farmers a boost.

Cunningham said he believes legalization is the solution to problems such as freeing up police to focus on violent criminals, providing a health care alternative for those who are terminally or chronically ill, and generating millions for a state he says is “dead last” in areas where funding has been a struggle, like education and health care, MSN reported.

Colorado was the first state to legalize adult recreational usage of marijuana in 2012, followed by dozens of states approving laws permitting either recreational or medicinal use within the previous decade, The Daily Advertiser reported.

Cunningham’s goal is for South Carolina to become the next state to decriminalize cannabis.