Despite all the progress that medical cannabis has made in the US, 17 states remain without access to it, and North Carolina is one of them. However, that could change with a new, pending bill.
According to Yes Weekly, voters in North Carolina aren’t allowed to place measures on the ballot, but since the numbers show that 80 percent of voters in the state support medical cannabis, there is pressure for something to be done.
Last year, a group of cosponsors introduced H 401, a comprehensive medical cannabis bill, into the legislature. Nothing happened last year, but it carried over to 2020. Since lawmakers reconvened on April 28, they will now be considering this measure again.
If this passes, it would be the biggest step forward for cannabis reform that the state has ever seen. They legalized CBD for certain patients five years ago, but the law only provides for a select few suffering from seizures, and there is no in-state source for CBD treatment.
Although the Senate approved a bill in 2019 that would expand to serve those with autism, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, mitochondrial disease, and a few other conditions, it never advanced out of the House and is still not a law. It also failed to address how people would obtain their medicine and only applied to levels of THC below 0.9 percent. This new bill would address those concerns.
There has also been a push to legalize hemp in North Carolina so that there is more opportunity to grow a textiles industry and support the economy.
North Carolina has also taken measures to make sure those who possess small amounts of cannabis are not jailed if it’s a first offense. While it is an extremely weak and minor form of decriminalization, it is also a first step to fixing the disparities caused by the war on drugs. There is a high black population in North Carolina, and according to the ACLU, Black people are three times more likely to be arrested than white people.
It still remains to be seen whether anything will come from this new bill, but folks in North Carolina are hungry for a medical system that works and serves all patients, and they will keep fighting for it.
Cannabis was decriminalized (up to an ounce) way back in the 1970’s.
NC has one of the largest Veteran populations in the country, why are they not allowing medical marijuana for our issues. PTSD, DEPRESSION, PRESCRIPTION PILL ADDICTION.
I am a cancer patient and I also suffer from gout and have major anxiety issues and the cancer crap that I’m on has bad reactions to several different medications can’t even take pain medicine I Really need this medical bill to be passed
Same here with the cancer meds. The research is in on Marijuana being the cure, but there’s too much money to be made on chemo and all the other poison the pharmaceutical companies are pushing.
Exactly! I was searching for doctors who prescribed for severe depression and anxiety
I live with chronic pain after back surgery and 4 hip replacement and a bone disease. The opioid treatment after 13 years is clearly taken it toil and will shorten the lives of patients. From my knowledge marijuana is a much safer and effective treatment. Time we take a stand against a government that only looks at the dollar signs. Other states have shown great progress it’s time N.C gets on board and forget all the lies reported years ago because lumber company’s were afraid it could hurt business because of hemp paper.
Its very sad that this is the only real mention of this bill anywhere in NC media. The states red driven machine wont cover this info because they know it will unify the state. Smh
Red Driven State? What planet are you communicating from? North Carolina is so Democratic and Blue it isn’t funny.
Democratic Governor, and 90% of Mayors are Democrat.
I’m republican here in NC and I want cannabis legalized, the life saving medical benefits are being withheld because of big Pharma, this alone should be illegal, politics are what’s keeping this illegal, why can’t we just get signatures of citizens who want this and get it passed, NC has the best growing conditions around, this is so political and stupid, Colorado has passed the test, we need the jobs and income from this cash crop, don’t be left behind, it would be so helpful to our farmers.
The State is Governed by a idiot right now, btw he’s a Democrat
Nothing matters as long as career politicians like Thom Tillis are in office. He makes way too much money off keeping medical marijuana illegal. When asked, NC politicians, like him, still use refer madness rhetoric to justify their stance or just simply say more research is needed. It is extremely sad because politicians like Thom Tillis are hurting American citizens.
Yet the Mimi Minds of the population of NC vote him into office every election. Stop complaining and quit voting for any Democrat.
Democratic for the most part are wanting to legalize marijuana, the real set back for N.C is it’s a Bible Belt state that has been lied to for years about the effects of marijuana.
This babbling fuqtard is giving Trump four more years in office. It is extremely sad that Joe Biden is the best candidate that they could come up with. Trump won’t win on his own; it will take the democrats shytting the bed and so far, they are showing signs of having diarrhea. THANKS DEMOCRATS! FOUR MORE YEARS OF TRUMP! I’m going to go throw up a little and cry in the corner because the BEST that America can muster is GD Trump and FN Biden. A rapist and a pedophile, which, sadly, BOTH can be called.
This was for the article below this one and was commented on down on that article, but for some reason, HT’s attached it to this article… so just read “Joe Biden’s Evolving Views On Drug Policy—Then Versus Now”
Who cares about JOE BIDEN!!!!!!!This is about people dying a little bit everyday because of a spinal cord injury or anxiety!!!Go some where else to peddle your ignorant message!!
Really? Your delusional. Try not to get so involved in Political Rhetoric that is narrated to get the weak minded all riled up with misinformation. And your comment proves you swallowed the narrative hook, line, and sinker. It is uninformed and misinformed electors as you who destroy our nation and make it weaker each time you say something so ignorant.
I agree a nation like ours can’t find a honest person to run for President it is very sad. Just like all the lies reported about marijuana years ago.
As a North Carolinian, we need this passed now. We have tobacco farms that have been out of business for years that would be able to produce both Canibus and CBD products. As someone who worked legal cases where people were injured from pharmaceutical drugs, we need plants over pills! Medical marijuana should be passed ASAP!
You worked legal cases, and spell it “canibus”?
politicians make to much money not passing these laws otherwise they would have been passed them a while back. They know the benefits of this medicine all they have to do is look at research from Colorado, but no we keep building new family practices, kidney places, plasma centers, hospitals lots of money to be made off sick people not healthy ones.
North Carolina Politicians are 20 years behind the nation. Colorado, California, Washington, Massachusetts, Nevada have all passed Recreational Marijuana and have tax dollars pouring in. so much they don’t know where to put it all. Even the Democratic Evil State of Illinois, one of the most corrupted States in the country, passed Recreational Marijuana. January 1, 2020.
Stop voting for any Democrat or Republican.
Hemp and CBD have been legal here for a while now. I can go to a dispensary down the road and by cbd flower right now.
Here in North Carolina
Where are the dispensaries?
There are several legitimate ones in Western NC
Funny how the blinded bible worshipers can have Bingo (gambling), and refuse any gambling of cards, horse races, and others. Hypocrites. Just as most bible thumpers are.
If you proclaim yourself a Christian and you smoke….you’re a hypocrite. If you drink alcohol (beer or wine) you are a hypocrite. If you have tattoos, you are a hypocrite.
The Bible states very clearly that your body is a temple and those things are not to be done.
The Bible says 8x that eating Shrimp is not allowed. Yet, nobody pays attention to that.
Sad that today, Religion is an Industry. Nothing spiritual in church these days. Too many millionaire pastors. Men of Filth.
As a very knowledgeable person of the Bible and a supporting leader of legal marijuana I know for a fact the comment on shrimp is just as much a lie as the lies about marijuana lol. The body is a temple but not 1 of the apostles were saints they all had to overcome some problems. God also says he created all things and in all things are good. Just be are when judging others especially when you don’t have the facts
The only way any form of marijuana will be legalized is if we vote democrats into the 13 districts and vote Thom Tillis out. It’s very unfortunate that republicans continue to ignore what everyone wants…
I just go to another state and get MMJ tincture, for my pain, sure beats taking
90 Xanax a month.
Sorry North Carolina , We were put on earth with Food,Water, and Medicine.
Not Food,Water,and Opioids.
All I have to say is that medical marijuana needs to be passed in NC. It is the only thing that helps with my pain. 1:1 is perfect. It is amazing. If push comes to shove I will move. I don’t understand why NC is so obsolete.
Sharing this with coworkers.
I cannot get enough of my my cbd salve!
I was in the army 9 1/2 years I have PTSD and a lot more I was in Washington State and I was doing so much better up there but I wanted to come home now it’s all so funny because now I want to move host so I can get the help I need I had a cop ask me if I know of someone selling weed and I said if I did I would not be out here I would be in bed it’s 4 in the morning weed helps me sleep I don’t understand why are you all saying we want to help the people but you are keeping weed from use you don’t want to help you want to make things worse and all the money and jobs nc can get its a lot more then what it is now
As a healthcare worker in the medical field, I have seen firsthand the effects of prescription medication and definitely without a doubt, medical marijuana is the best and natural way to help patients. It has a tremendous impact on a patient’s health such as they are much more at ease thus less pain. They have more of an appetite, unlike opioids that cause you to not want to eat.
Also , there are economical benefits like the creating of jobs and hundreds of farmers can plow their fields again. The benefits of medical marijuana are endless. I’m sure everyone has already heard of these reasons and know the benefits of medical marijuana. It’s a shame that our politicians know these same beliefs but do nothing.
Can everyone who reads this please write to the lawmakers of North Carolina and tell them to pass
Bill H 401??
Individually we are silent but universally we are loud and heard.
All of the comments that relay the necessity of a marijuana legalization in NC are so true and to be honest heartbreaking. I like many of the commenters have severe anxiety, PTSD and chronic pain from my previous marriage in which I was the victim of domestic violence. I take prescribed meds for anxiety but literally none of the things they’ve tried for PTSD have helped. So daily it’s a toss-up of am I battling pain today or PTSD and how am I’m going to push through this so that I can maintain my household while dealing with that. The one medication that truly helps, North Carolina politicians don’t think should be legal. I’m tired of the ways of this state. The people of NC deserve to be able to get the medicine we need. Unfortunately, since it’s post-election it looks like Tills will be in again but I believe if we come together and not let them keep this foolishness up we can get what we need. North Carolina is always and will continue to behind the curve of everything. The politicians of this state want us to remain in the old days but a new day has come. Seeing our state stick out like a sore thumb among the only few states that have no marijuana laws pissed me off. Things don’t have to be this way but that’s how NC legislators want it. I’m telling anyone who is thinking of moving here NOT TO. I’m also telling everyone I know not to believe the mess they put in the media about NC being progressive, it’s the exact opposite, NC is stagnent.
It is ridiculous how inaccurate this article is.
-NC resident