The North Carolina House’s top lawmaker believes that the medical marijuana bill has a “better chance” of being passed this year than it ever had in the past. He also expects the Republican caucus to take up the Senate-passed legislation within the next few weeks.
House Speaker Tim Moore said that the prospects of medical cannabis legislation have improved. A floor vote could be held depending on how Republican members decide to vote on this issue.
“We haven’t voted yet in our caucus.” In an interview with WUNC on the 4/20 marijuana holiday, he said: “I get the sense that there’s a good amount of support for medical use of cannabis. But there’s also a lot of opposition.” “I’m not sure how many votes that is.” I think it’ll be a divided vote like healthcare expansion, or the gambling legislation that was passed before.
Moore stated that “it’s just about seeing what the caucus wants to do, but I would say it has more chance of being passed this year than it ever had in the past.”
He made a joke about how “ironic” it was to have the discussion on April 20 and said “probably within the month” we would know if the Senate-approved bill will be taken up this year by the House.
Listen to Moore’s comments about cannabis at 11:05 in the audio below.
Bill Rabon, R-Sen., has introduced a medical cannabis bill.
The Senate cleared last month
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Patients with certain conditions, such as cancer or epilepsy and post-traumatic disorder (PTSD), could possess cannabis and buy it from licensed dispensaries.
Advocates are confident that the bill will pass the Senate just as it did in the previous session. It’s less clear how the GOP-controlled House will approach the issue.
Moore said previously that the dynamics surrounding marijuana reform had changed with “a number of new members.” Moore said there are more than 50% of members that support medical cannabis, and that he wouldn’t be surprised if the bill passed.
In an earlier interview, he stated that “I believe the odds are higher than not that it will happen.”
The speaker’s tone has changed dramatically since he previously said that Rabon’s bill raised “a lot” of concerns.
The key provisions of the Medical Cannabis legislation are:
Patients with “debilitating conditions” like cancer, epilepsy or HIV/AIDS would be allowed access to cannabis.
The revised law would allow smoking and vaping, but doctors must prescribe specific dosages and methods of delivery to patients. They would also need to evaluate the eligibility of patients for the program every year.
The bill allows for up to ten medical marijuana suppliers to control the cultivation and sales of cannabis. Each supplier may operate up to 8 dispensaries. This is double the previous dispensary limit.
The bill would establish a Compassionate Usage Advisory Board, which could include new medical conditions that qualify.
A Medical Cannabis Production Commission will be established to oversee licensing, ensure an adequate supply of marijuana for patients and to generate revenue to regulate the program.
The measure would also create a North Carolina Cannabis Research Program, which “undertakes objective, scientific research concerning the administration of marijuana or cannabis-infused product as part of medical treatments.”
Many advocates have pushed for specific equity provisions to be included in legalization legislation.
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In a section of the bill titled “Findings”, the legislator states its intention to “prioritize public health and safety when creating a system of cultivation, processing and selling medical cannabis.”
The General Assembly also requested that “the regulatory system created under this article be flexible and responsive to the rapid changes in the cannabis industry.”
In a poll conducted in February, it was found that North Carolinians were also ready to reform. Three out of four respondents said they supported the legalization of medical marijuana.
In his own words, Gov. Roy Cooper (D), who spoke in December, said that he believes a medical marijuana bill has an “opportunity to pass” in this session. He also reiterated support for decriminalizing cannabis possession in a broader sense, noting the racial disparities.
Cooper’s support for decriminalization has only been a recent development. In October he publicly backed this policy change, saying it was time to “end stigma”. He also announced that he had taken steps to independently grant relief to those with convictions.
Cooper stated that following President Joe Biden’s mass pardon in October, which included a call for action from governors, Cooper has directed state attorneys to review pardon authority for cannabis offenses.
Separately, the governor convened the North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice had previously recommended decriminalizing cannabis. The panel’s report, chaired state Attorney General Josh Stein(D), included a recommendation that the state conduct a study to determine whether it should more widely legalize cannabis sales.
According to current law, possession of more than half an inch up to 1.5 ounces is a misdemeanor class 1, punishable by up to 45-days imprisonment and a fine of $200. In 2019, 3,422 charges were filed and 1,909 convictions were made. 70 percent of the people convicted are non-white.
In North Carolina, a Republican legislator and a group of bipartisan cosponsors filed a bill to establish a $5-million grant program for research on the therapeutic potentials of psilocybin or MDMA. A Breakthrough Therapies Research Advisory Board was also created to oversee this effort.
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The original Marijuana Moment article North Carolina House speaker says Senate-approved medical marijuana bill has a ‘better chance of passing’ than ever before.
