STATES RIGHTS

Local Comment

Neither North Carolina nor South Carolina is among the 10 states with
medicinal marijuana legislation, in which a doctor's recommendation allows
those with serious illness to use the otherwise illegal substance.

Dr. John Charles, medical director of the Grand Strand Regional Medical
Center, said he considers the ruling to be more a comment on states rights
than about marijuana's medicinal purposes.

"Most of the reasons for medicinal marijuana use is largely anecdotal," he
said. "It's the case of 'nothing else worked so let's try this.' And it
worked."

Charles cited major illnesses as diseases in which the drug has had an
effect in some patients.

"It does remain sort of a drug of last resort," Charles said.