North Carolina could be the next state to legalize cannabis
April 12, 2021
Two bills regarding the legal status of cannabis were filed in the North Carolina State Senate on April 7. One would see cannabis become available for medical use in certain cases, the other would see the drug become fully legalized in the state.
Senate Bill 646, or the Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act, takes a broad approach to cannabis regulatory reform. This bill, sponsored solely by Democratic senators, would allow certain quantities of cannabis to be possessed by adults 21 years old and up, as well as sold by approved and licensed vendors.
Limits on possession are laid out in the bill as follows:
Possession limit. – Any of the following amounts:
- Two ounces of cannabis in a form other than concentrated cannabis or cannabis products.
- Fifteen grams of concentrated cannabis.
- Cannabis products containing no more than 2,000 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
- Six cannabis plants.
- Any additional cannabis produced by the person’s cannabis plants provided that the possession of any amount of cannabis in excess of two ounces of cannabis, 15 grams of concentrated cannabis, and cannabis products containing no more than 2,000 milligrams of tetrahydrocannabinol must be limited to the same property where the plants were cultivated.
“Cannabis prohibition, like alcohol prohibition before it, has been a wasteful and destructive failure. About half of Americans admit to having used cannabis despite more than eight decades of prohibition,” reads the bill in making the case for legalization.
“The prohibition of cannabis has had an unfair, disparate impact on persons and communities of color. A 2020 report by the American Civil Liberties Union found black individuals are three and six-tenths times as likely as white individuals to be arrested for cannabis possession, despite nearly identical use rates.”
Senate Bill 711 proposes only the medical legalization of cannabis. The bill is off to a promising start, receiving a bipartisan introduction by two Republican and two Democratic senators. The Republicans behind the bill both come from the Cape Fear area, with Bill Rabon representing Brunswick County and Michael Lee representing New Hanover County.
This bill also termed N.C. Compassionate Care Act would allow patients suffering from certain ailments to be prescribed North Carolina grown medicinal cannabis. The bill lays out certain conditions such as cancer, epilepsy, glaucoma, HIV, AIDS, ALS, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis as those eligible for medicinal cannabis treatments, but says that diseases similar to those listed will be considered as well.
“Modern medical research has found that cannabis and cannabinoid compounds are effective at alleviating pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with several debilitating medical conditions,” stated the bill in its findings. “This Article is intended to make only those changes to existing North Carolina laws that are necessary to protect patients and their doctors from criminal and civil penalties and is not intended to change current civil and criminal laws governing the use of cannabis for nonmedical purposes.”
This recent slate of cannabis legislation comes off the back of neighboring Virginia, which passed a bill for the substance’s legalization to begin in July. 37 other states have already passed laws to legalize cannabis for medicinal use, with 15 states having legalized the substance for recreational purposes.
Tracie • May 5, 2021 at 12:24 pm
This law needs to be passed I live in NC where they want to take your kids from you for smoking outside your home!!!But its ok to b drunk?? Save our kids!!!
Robert E. Lee • May 5, 2021 at 11:28 am
As former leader of the Confederate States I hereby declare we should spend more time consuming this plant than to let the current political mayhem and their intense ignorance consume us !
Please consume responsibly.
I currently consume the much discussed CBD version, and some CBG, just don’t personally care for the THC version.
Laws are for the lawless.
Morales are for the degenerates.
Cannabis is just a plant, use it wisely.
Barbara King • May 4, 2021 at 8:45 am
We need Medical Marijuana in N.C. lot of people Know friends and relatives who live in Virginia,
they can send it to them for pain relief, North Carolina will be losing Mega Millions, all of the N.C. Reps who
didn’t want it will be the first one in line to get pain relief.( You don’t have to smoke, it Comes in a tincture, a tablet,
and a rub on for pain, I will be going to another state to get my pain relief.
SORRY NORTH CAROLINA. You are losing MEGA MILLIONS.
Tom Gaskins • Apr 21, 2021 at 5:19 pm
I’m 70 years old. It was illegal in my 20’s. That was 50 years ago. I have glaucoma and am a Vietnam vet with PTSD… I’m retired and work on my farm. Cannabis gives me peace of mind from the past and gives me great enjoyment working my farm. Lowers the pressure in my eyes and hopefully keep what eyesight I have left.
ITS TIME. Tom Gaskins
Alice Smith • Apr 21, 2021 at 2:05 pm
I’m in total support of legalization in my home state of North Carolina. Not only here, but the entire USA should accept the will of its ppl and STOP the non-sense of arresting ppl and ruining their lives forever. The time is up, we are no longer just accepting our elected officials BS and their complete lack of any real understanding of our rights, will and liberty. I expect some type of a pathetic medical bill getting passed but I’m not holding my breath in anticipation. IF any bill gets passed in N.C, it should be to legalize, IMO. We should be able to grow it, smoke, eat, drink it..It should be our right, like smoking a cigarette or buying a beer. Whatever happens, my vote(s) will be for those ONLY who not only support legalization and our right to consume marijuana if we so choose but those who actually will fight the fight and go to battle with those backwoods idiots.
Brian Kelly • Apr 12, 2021 at 7:15 pm
Marijuana consumers deserve and demand equal rights and protections under our laws that are currently afforded to the drinkers of far more dangerous and deadly, yet perfectly legal, widely accepted, endlessly advertised and even glorified as an All-American pastime, alcohol.
Plain and simple!
Legalize Nationwide!
It’s time for us, the majority of The People to take back control of our national marijuana policy. By voting OUT of office any and all politicians who very publicly and vocally admit to having an anti-marijuana, prohibitionist agenda! Time to vote’em all OUT of office. Period. Plain and simple.
Politicians who continue to demonize Marijuana, Corrupt Law Enforcement Officials who prefer to ruin peoples lives over Marijuana possession rather than solve real crimes who fund their departments toys and salaries with monies acquired through Marijuana home raids, seizures and forfeitures, and so-called “Addiction Specialists” who make their income off of the judicial misfortunes of our citizens who choose marijuana, – Your actions go against The Will of The People and Your Days In Office Are Numbered! Find new careers before you don’t have one.
The People have spoken! Get on-board with Marijuana Legalization Nationwide, or be left behind and find new careers. Your choice.
The “War on Marijuana” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over a trillion dollars.
Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Marijuana”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. It’s a no brainer.
The Prohibition of Marijuana has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?
Marijuana is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?
Let’s end this hypocrisy now!
The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less marijuana “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.
Marijuana Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide! Support Each and Every Marijuana Legalization Initiative!
IIIAL_nEO • Dec 20, 2021 at 2:26 pm
We have to accept the fact that our parents and grandparents were lied to about cannabis. The healing and medicinal properties that marijuana possess are too great to hold them back from good people who are killing theirselves with useless pharmaceuticals. Think about this, good people are being locked up, and put in jail, with truly evil people, for having a plant in their possession. That is sickening. Get educated on what marijuana actually does for the human body and stop wasting our time and please Legalize now.
Ray Adams • Mar 8, 2023 at 6:27 pm
Mr. Kelly, You are so right! But you forgot to mention the fact that in High School Biology and Chemistry they told us Scientific fact that Alcohol IS A POISON! Another Scientific Fact since the 1960’s even accepted by the US Surgeon General is that Tobacco, the smoking or chewing thereof, CAUSES CANCER! Both of these have cost the US public and the US economy Billions in medical expenses and lives. I have yet to hear reliable proof or evidence that Marijuana causes any diseases. AND if you re like my doctor and don’t like the smoke, then there are alawys the edibldes.