North Carolina Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Advanced by Senate
Legislation to legalize medical marijuana has been filed and advanced in the North Carolina Senate.
Senate Bill 648 was filed yesterday by Senators Teresa Van Duyn (D) and Valerie Jean Foushee (D). Today, it was passed through its first reading and assigned to the Rules and Operations Committee.
If passed into law, the proposal would legalize medical marijuana for those who receive a recommendation from a physician and register with the state. Patients would be allowed to possess up to 24 ounces of cannabis, and could grow the plant at home as long as there is “not more than 250 feet of total garden canopy of mature female cannabis plants, measured by the combined vegetative growth area, excluding any garden space devoted to cannabis plants that are not mature and female but which are cultivated for the purpose of maintaining the largest and most productive canopy of mature female cannabis plants allowed by this Article.”
The measure would establish a system of licensed dispensaries as a means of safe access to medical marijuana for patients. These outlets would be supplied by licensed cultivation centers.
Below are qualifying medical marijuana conditions under the proposed law:
Cancer, gliomas, glaucoma, positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), hepatitis C, porphyria, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS), Alzheimer’s disease, nail‑patella syndrome, fibromyalgia, severe migraines, multiple sclerosis, celiac disease, Crohn’s disease, diabetes mellitus, dystonia, gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, incontinence, injury or disease to the spinal cord, spinal column, or vertebra, methicillin‑resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), myelomalacia, osteoporosis, pruritus, rheumatoid arthritis, sleep apnea, Tourette’s syndrome, or the treatment of such conditions.b.
A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition or its treatment that produces one or more of the following: cachexia or wasting syndrome; severe pain; severe nausea; anorexia; seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy; or severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig’s disease or ALS), or Crohn’s disease.c.
Any other serious medical or mental condition or its treatment approved by a physician or other practitioner authorized to prescribe or recommend a controlled substance classified in the schedules set forth in either the Controlled Substances Act (Article 5 of Chapter 90 of the General Statutes) or the federal Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970, P.L. 91‑513, 84 Stat. 1236 (Oct. 27, 1970).
Click here for the full text of Senate Bill 648.
Lisa McIe
It need to pass it help with so much and you guys are ok with liquor but something that can help head acks and pain axiatey
Alfredo Gamboa
Yeah I hope they pass the bill this year please
Dave
Like the page, need to keep up to date on MJ News if you can let me know when? Definitely cannot wait until it goes National, I’m losing too much atm in the stocks side. So for my carolina Families and Friends, I wish it through on common and economical sense!
Carmon
Definitely would be great for persond lior children living with disability, not for recreational purposes, maybe some may calm down……
Weeden Cornwell
If it can save or help people in pain. It should be legal.
Tara Jones
I have suffered the consequences of “modern medicine” for my Fibromyalgia, RLS and chronic migraines. Due to liver damage from the meds, I now suffer through the pain without being medicated in any way. I would love for marijuana legalization in NC so that I may be able to find some relief. Please pass this Bill!
Latonya McNeill
Medical use correct smh
Anonymous
they arent even legalizing it for headaches or anxiety only super horrid stuff, nc fuckin sucks
dal
lists can grow
SisterDonna
We don’t see LUPUS on that list!!! Jeeeeeeeez….get it right before anymore submitting things to officials!!!
anon
it definitely says “migraines”. if you haven’t had a migraine, your headache is not severe enough to need medical marijuana
Anonymous
Severe migraines and chronic mental health conditions are on the list of conditions, so anxiety and migraines would be covered.
Jenn
They forgot autism. Please add it now.
Marcota
As a healthcare worker I have seen the great help it has provided many people. From children with seizures to adults with terminal pain.
Get it passed before the big pharmaceutical companies try to take control of it in your state. The prices will quadruple.
Demarcus Ross
People wont hire you when they find out.
Anonymous
http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/Sessions/2017/Bills/Senate/HTML/S648v1.html
Kiri
I’m wondering if ptsd, depression and aniexty count, I really got to know, especially for those that have serves in the military
Anonymous
Chornic back pains and so much more they missed come on NC raise up twist it around your head like a helicopter
Chris
I’m a Chronic pain patient, been this way for twelve years. I’ve been trying for full disability since my doctor took me out of work twelve years ago. I’ve been on all kinds of pain meds ,nerve meds , etc. And Absolutely NONE of them work on me. So, I suffered and suffered. I got up some cash and bought some smoke from someone and continue smoking, and guess what… it REALLY and Truly does wonders for me. Please PASS this law!!!!!
Millie
IDK. I don’t see it listed. I need it for my anxiety and Bipolar issues. The meds have been a hit or miss and mostly a miss. I would like to try it some from.
Anonymous
Actually if you read the bill. Employers can not discriminate nor terminate. If you have a medical card. You can fail any test for cannabis. As long as you have a medical cannabis card from your doctor.
don't matter
When will we know if it’s moving forward or not?
Anthony
Chronic pain patients and spine injury patients will reduce their need for opiates once this bill passes, and the opiate issue with young people getting into these patients meds and overdosing (dying) is all over the news in NC. If the government is serious about reducing availability of these opiates, they can reduce these patients needs by allowing them medical marijuana. There shouldn’t be much of an employer impact as this population (for a decent percentage of them, myself included!) are already not able to work due to their disability!
Felton Davenport
If they hurry up and pass it they can cancel my court date. Hopefully we can get away from the most invasive laws in our society!
lisafrequency
Call and write to your state reps be respectfully ask them to vote yes on the bill. If they don’t vote in favor vote them out and vote in someone who will vote in favor.
Corey
Read the article. It lists a whole bunch of stuff it would be prescribed for and says everything isn’t listed as well. This bill would be amazing if passed, would help me tremendously. Come on NC!
Jae
Anxiety falls under Hypertension. Headaches fal under migranes. Please people before you freak out educate yourself.
Melanie Wright
I’m not well informed on this. Could you please tell me when this vote is to take place?
Anonymous
Please, please pass this law. My husband would benefit from this so much. He has Late Stage Parkinson and shakes so bad he can hardly hold a fork sometimes. Levadopa and other prescriptions make the shaking worse. I have read research about how great MJ is for disease like his. When a physician prescribes it, why should it be any different than other drugs that have horrible side effects. People like him could be benefiting from it. I don’t want to do anything illegal but at 74, I may be pushed into doing just that.
Tim
This is a win win situation. The money saved on the fight against it could be spent on other drug fights. drugs that are killing our youth. Not to mention turning marijuana control over to the authorities who can prosper on the taxation of it. Were talking millions of dollars. Also it would be a huge jobs program here.
good for nc
Nc sells their controlled substances different than most states we have an ABC board that distributed and sells these products; NC should pass medical and recreational marijuana usage. They should licenses the tobacco manufacturers to produce product and sell recreational product thru state run ABC stores and medical thru pharmacy’s. The tobacco manufacturers r already set up to produce smoking products and this would put them back on top as a tax producing corporation and employer in the state. Sell product pre packaged thru ABC stores where taxes will be collected and we don’t have hippy shops all over town. Change name to ABRMC Board. It’s a no brainer it’s a win win situation.
Gary Madison
My husband was diagnosed with MND ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) when he was 69 years old 6 years ago. The Rilutek (riluzole) did very little to help him. The medical team did even less. His decline was rapid and devastating. The psychological support from the medical center was non-existent and if it were not for totalcureherbsfoundation .c om and the sensitive cure of their herbal formula he would have been not been alive today,there was significant improvement in the first 4 weeks of usage that gave us hope that he will be alive,His doctor put him on riluzole, letting us know there was no cure until we gave try on total cure herbal supplement that cure him totally from this disease after 15 weeks of his usage. There is nothing positive about cure ALS condition except for their herbal treatment .