North Carolina senators on Wednesday took action on a revised bill to legalize medical marijuana. An earlier version of the reform legislation cleared the same panel and another committee last month, but it was rereferred back to Judiciary earlier this month. Members accepted the revisions in the new version of the bill, setting it up for formal approval at a subsequent meeting. Under the proposal, sponsored by Rules Committee Chairman Bill Rabon (R), patients would be allowed to access cannabis if they have a “debilitating medical condition” such as cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The committee substitute now allows patients with terminal illnesses and have six months to live, as well as those with conditions resulting in hospice care, to also qualify for cannabis. Rabon told fellow lawmakers that the overall new revisions are intended to “make sure that this will be the best bill of its kind” among state medical cannabis laws. Under the legislation, patients could possess up to one and a half ounces of cannabis, but home cultivation would not be permitted.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 08/18/2021 14:57:00