A South Carolina Senate subcommittee on Thursday advanced a bill that would allow the clinical testing of cannabidiol oil (CBD), which is derived from the marijuana plant.

The oil has been used to treat severe forms of epilepsy, but is illegal in South Carolina. The bill by Sen. Tom Davis, R-Beaufort, seeks an exemption for the medical marijuana extract that does not include the THC chemical that creates the marijuana “high” sensation. It now heads to the full Senate Medical Affairs Committee.

Dori Lovell of Summerville told senators Thursday that the legislation is moving too slowly for her three-year old grandson Julian, who was born with a brain disorder and suffers from severe seizures. Lovell openly sobbed as she said her daughter and family left their support system, their jobs, and the state in an attempt to seek relief for her grandson.

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