Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence, & Starling

Smithfield: 919-300-6982

Call Us Today Clinton: 910-249-9165
Se Habla Español
Experienced Attorneys
On Your Side
The attorneys of Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence, & Starling
The attorneys of Daughtry, Woodard, Lawrence, & Starling

Medical marijuana legislation passes in North Carolina Senate

On Behalf of | Jul 10, 2021 | Criminal Defense

As new information, anecdotally and in studies, comes to light about marijuana’s effects on pain, more states have looked into their current laws to see if they need to reform them. Sometimes it takes a personal experience to realize where the opinion of constituents comes from.

North Carolina’s Senate, according to Marijuana Moment, approved a bill designed to legalize medical marijuana and establish a regulatory body for its distribution.

Medical marijuana regulation and need

Majority Leader Kathy Harrington (R) said in the committee “Life comes at you fast.” She referred to her husband’s recent blood cancer diagnosis and how it affected her position on marijuana legalization in the last six months.

The new bill would allow patients with a “debilitating medical condition” like cancer, HIV/AIDS, multiple sclerosis and other diseases to access cannabis.

The committee adopted a substitute amendment to allow a 13-member Medical Cannabis Advisory Board to review petitions and add new conditions to this list.

Another commission would oversee the production and distribution to cardholders, including a seed-to-sale tracking system.

Current marijuana laws

Until this bill makes its way to ratification, the present laws still stand. No person, regardless of medical need, may possess cannabis. 1.5 ounces or less is a misdemeanor with fines between $200 and $1000. Possession of more than 1.5 ounces is a felony with penalties of 3-8 months in jail and up to a $1000 fine.

The sale or trafficking of cannabis starts out with felony charges and penalties that include years in jail and thousands of dollars in fines.

Drug charges impact a person’s life and defending against those charges may save money, jail time and lifelong hurdles with a conviction. Anyone with questions regarding drug crimes or charges can reach out to our firm for more information.