North Carolina medical cannabis bill introduced

Last update: April 11, 2019

In 2018, voters in three states — Missouri, Oklahoma, and Utah — approved compassionate medical cannabis laws, bringing the total number of states with effective medical cannabis laws to 32. Sadly, North Carolina is one of the remaining 18 states that criminalizes patients who use a far safer treatment option than opioids.

Unfortunately, voters can’t place measures on the ballot in North Carolina. But with more and more states enacting medical cannabis laws, and 80% of North Carolina voters in support, pressure is building on the state legislature.

During the 2017-2018 legislative session, three different medical cannabis bills were introduced in North Carolina. Unfortunately, none of the bills received a committee vote. Let’s make sure this legislative session is different.

On March 20, 2019, 19 cosponsors introduced H 401, a comprehensive medical cannabis bill.  Please tell your lawmakers to support compassionate medical marijuana legislation during the 2019-2020 session!

In 2014, North Carolina took a small step forward, enacting a CBD-focused law for patients with intractable seizure disorders. The law leaves most patients behind and fails to provide an in-state source for cannabis extracts. For more information, please see our summary of the law.

In 2019, the Senate has already approved a bill to expand the law to include autism, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and some other conditions that failed to respond to at least three other medications. However, the bill — S 168 — still fails to provide any way to safely access medical cannabis preparations. It would also only allow between 0.3% and 0.9% THC cannabis, which is less THC than many patients need.

Decriminalization and prohibition

North Carolina is one of 24 states that have enacted laws to stop jailing those who possess small amounts of marijuana — at least for a first offense. Back in 1977, the legislature approved a significant reduction in penalties, which has been so non-controversial many people don’t even know about it. However, the law is among the weakest decriminalization laws in the nation — a suspended sentence is possible for a first offense, and the offense carries the lasting stigma of a misdemeanor charge instead of a civil violation.

In addition, like most states that have marijuana prohibition, people of color are disproportionately arrested or cited for marijuana offenses. According to government data compiled by the ACLU, while blacks make up 22% of the population in North Carolina, they account for 50% of marijuana related arrests or citations, despite the fact that whites and blacks use cannabis at similar rates.

Senators Paul Lowe, Valerie Foushee, Toby Fitch, and cosponsors introduced S 58, which would make it legal to possess up to four ounces of marijuana. It would also allow for convictions for up to three ounces of cannabis to be removed from one’s criminal record. A similar bill was introduced in 2018.

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