Last week saw the first procedural vote in favor of a legalization bill Medical marijuana in North Carolina, which means he’s one step away from sending her home. This comes after a senior lawmaker in that chamber stated that his House is in a good position to pass the reform in this session despite opposing a similar bill last year.
After a week or so of easily passing through three committees, Sen. Bill Rabone (R)’s proposal was approved in second reading in the Senate by a vote of 36 to 10. In the coming days, she is expected to read the paragraph a third time, which she will formally send to the Senate. other legislature.
According to the proposed law, people with qualifying illnesses such as epilepsy, cancer, multiple sclerosis and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) would be able to own and purchase cannabis from approved dispensaries.
Progress on medical legalization of marijuana in North Carolina
Before the vote, Rabone stated in the room that the bill “is not intended to change existing civil and criminal laws governing the use of cannabis for nonmedical purposes” and that it “is only intended to make modifications to existing North Carolina laws that are necessary to protect patients and their physicians from civil and criminal penalties.” .
The spokesperson claimed that this “will enable the use of medical marijuana to be restricted only by people with serious conditions.” Law enforcement will have access to a variety of records and databases needed to confirm that patients qualify and that suppliers adhere to the terms of the bill. “We have received significant input from law enforcement on the bill,” he added.
As with the previous version during the previous session, supporters are certain the motion will pass the Senate. How the Republican-controlled House of Representatives would handle the situation was no less certain.
But, House Speaker Tim Moore (R) mentioned in a recent podcast interview that he thinks the motion may have a chance of passing given the chamber’s new political makeup.
I think something has changed. “We have a lot of new members,” he said, considering that in his opinion more than half of the parliamentarians Now support the legalization of medical marijuana. “If this bill were passed, I wouldn’t be shocked at all. The likelihood of something going wrong with that, in my opinion, is more than zero.
The tone of the speaker has changed dramatically since when He said there were “a lot of concerns Arranged by Rabun.
The legislation introduced by the Senate during the previous session was “well-constructed” and “addressed a lot of people’s concerns,” according to Senate Pro Temporary Chair Phil Berger (R), who said so in an interview with The Guardian. Podcast. It also gave critically ill patients a much needed treatment option.
Provisions of the proposed law
The following are the main provisions of SB 3, f The law governing medical cannabis:
Individuals with “debilitating medical conditions” such as HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease are allowed to have cannabis.
Smoking and vaping will still be permitted, but doctors will still have to give their patients specific instructions for delivery and dosing. Also, they will have to reassess program eligibility for patients at least once a year.
The proposed law would allow up to 10 medical marijuana suppliers to oversee the production and distribution of cannabis. Each resource can operate eight dispensaries. This is double the dispensary cap that was specified in the previous iteration.
The proposed legislation would create a compassionate use advisory board, which would have the authority to include new qualifying medical conditions.
A separate medical marijuana production committee would be set up to monitor licenses, ensure adequate supplies of cannabis to patients, and provide adequate funds to run the program.
North Carolina’s Cannabis Research Program would also be created as part of the legislation “to conduct an objective scientific study into the administration of cannabis or cannabis-infused products as part of medical treatment.”
The exact fairness clauses that many proponents are calling for in enacting the legislation do not seem to exist.
The legislature intends to “prioritize the preservation of public health and safety in building a system for the cultivation, processing and sale of medical cannabis,” according to the results section of the law.
Support for medical legalization of marijuana in North Carolina
According to a survey last month, nearly three in four North Carolinians support the legalization of medical marijuana, indicating that they, too, are ready for change.
For his part, Gov. Roy Cooper (D) stated in December that he believes the medical marijuana legalization measure “has a chance of getting through” this year. He also reaffirmed his support for more comprehensive decriminalization of cannabis possession, citing racial inequities in enforcement
Cooper’s recent public endorsement of decriminalization is a recent development. He initially publicly supported the policy change in October, declaring that it was time to “remove the stigma” and revealing separate actions he had taken to investigate his options for independently releasing those already convicted.
Cooper stated that he instructed the state’s attorney to investigate the power to pardon marijuana charges after President Joseph Biden’s mass pardon statement in October, which also included a call to act for governors to grant statewide relief.
Meanwhile, the governor called a meeting of the North Carolina Working Group on Racial Equality in Criminal Justice, which has already called for the decriminalization of marijuana. A proposal for the state to initiate a study into whether cannabis sales should be legalized in general was also included in the final report of the commission, which was chaired by the state’s AG Josh Stein (D).
Possession of more than half an ounce and up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis is currently a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 45 days in prison and a $200 fine. 3,422 similar charges and 1,909 trials took place in 2019; Non-white people made up 70% of those found guilty.
North Carolina Senator Bill Rabone’s bill, which would allow people with certain diseases to own cannabis and buy it from licensed dispensaries, has been passed by the North Carolina Senate. The plan is expected to read a third time before being sent to the House, where the outcome is less certain, though there is optimism about its chances given the chamber’s new political makeup and support shown by a recent poll.
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