A bill to legalize medical cannabis in North Carolina was filed last week by a group of Democratic lawmakers. The proposal, the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, by state Reps. Aisha O. Dew, Pricey Harrison, Zack Hawkins, and Nasif Majeed, would create a qualifying conditions list for medical cannabis access.
The proposal would all physicians to recommend cannabis for debilitating medical conditions including, cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder, and other specified conditions, including for patients in end-of-life care.
The bill would also create the North Carolina Cannabis Research Program which would “undertake objective, scientific research regarding the administration of cannabis or cannabis-infused products as part of medical treatment.”
A similar bill was introduced in 2024 by Republican state Rep. Bill Rabon and was approved in the Senate but never received a vote in the state House of Representatives. Last session the Senate also passed a medical cannabis bill that was ultimately not considered by the House.
North Carolina adults can access cannabis at dispensaries run by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in the Qualla Boundary.
A Meredith College poll of North Carolina voters conducted in February found that 71% of state voters supported legalizing medical cannabis access with 23% opposed, and 6% unsure.
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