Republican resistance ends medical cannabis legalization push in NC

Opposition from Republican lawmakers in North Carolina has likely doomed a move to legalize medical cannabis in the state in 2023.

At least, that’s how state House Speaker Tim Moore views the situation, according to the Associated Press.

Though legalization in North Carolina has been considered a long shot, the state Senate in March approved by a wide margin what sponsors called the Compassionate Care Act.

The bill would have allowed patients suffering from one of 15 medical conditions access to smokable flower in a tightly controlled, limited-license market.

But the House took no action aside from an emotional committee hearing in early June.

And there are too many Republicans who oppose the bill for it to move forward, Moore told the Associated Press.

House Republican Caucus rules require a majority of members to support a bill before it can be heard on the floor, Moore said.

That means even if the bill would have passed via an up-down vote with support from some of the House’s 120 Democrats, Republican opposition was the deciding factor.

A similar bill also passed the state Senate in 2021 only to die in the House for lack of a vote.

The state Legislature adjourns later this month.

Moore said he expects the issue to be addressed again when the next session begins in May.

Source: https://mjbizdaily.com/republican-resistance-ends-north-carolina-medical-cannabis-legalization-push/