medical marijuana
As more states legalize pot, their uneven safety rules can pose a risk
Amid the growing acceptance and legalization of cannabis use across the country, a concerning reality has emerged: The state-by-state patchwork of safety regulations can leave marijuana consumers wandering through a haze of uncertainty, exposing them to potential risks. Under federal law, marijuana is illegal — period. So, it’s up to individual states to determine their […]
Some NC House members warm to medical marijuana, but the bill’s outlook remains hazy
North Carolina’s medical marijuana bill has been largely dormant since passing the state Senate in early March. But members of the state House showed signs Tuesday that they were becoming more comfortable with the Compassionate Care Act. The bipartisan bill would allow doctors to authorize cannabis in treating more than a dozen debilitating medical condition […]
North Carolina should learn from other places and try to do marijuana right
Cannabis – aka marijuana. Most Americans already live in a state where it’s lawful to sell, obtain and possess – either for medical purposes, recreational purposes or both – and the genie is clearly not going back in the bottle.
State Senator Natasha Marcus of Mecklenburg County
State Senator Natasha Marcus of Mecklenburg County on the latest from the General Assembly, including the legislature’s worrisome rush to further weaken state gun safety laws.
“Change is coming”: Medical marijuana legislation advances in NC legislature
Supporters of medicinal marijuana are one step closer to seeing the measure legalized in North Carolina. Members of the Senate Judiciary Committee gave the green light to the NC Compassionate Care Act on Tuesday after approving a handful of new amendments. Bill sponsors say their intent is prioritize the protection of public health and safety […]
State medical cannabis programs failing to make enough progress, advocacy group finds
WASHINGTON — A report from a patient advocacy group found the future of medical cannabis in the states is hazy unless costs are decreased, product safety standards are improved, and civil rights are strengthened for patients and prescribers. Americans for Safe Access issued its annual State of the States report on Thursday. The organization, a […]
Incremental GOP moves on guns, Medicaid and pot are promising and maddening at the same time
A lot of things have been happening in the world of policy and politics of late that, not all that long ago, seemed fairly unimaginable. In Washington over the weekend, a group of 10 Republican U.S. senators, including North Carolina’s Richard Burr and Thom Tillis, came together with a group of Democrats to announce an important agreement on gun safety legislation. Though extremely modest in scope...
Medical marijuana advances to NC House after historic vote in Senate
On Monday, the state Senate passed a historic bill that would allow patients to receive medical marijuana through a trained physician for medical conditions such as cancer, PTSD, epilepsy and more. The bill would also remove the state-level criminal penalties for medical use, cultivation and distribution of marijuana. The measure would not change civil or […]
Federal attempts to legalize marijuana flail, even as public support grows
A majority of voters in all 50 states support the idea, but the U.S. Senate doesn’t Across the country, attitudes toward cannabis are becoming more permissive and accepting, but partisan gridlock in Congress virtually ensures that legislation to decriminalize marijuana will languish and die in the U.S. Senate. Earlier this month, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE) by a narrow 220-204 margin.
Federal law still treats marijuana as an illegal drug, creating headaches for states
Most states in the U.S. are in violation of a major federal drug statute. The 1971 Controlled Substances Act lists marijuana in the most dangerous category defined in the law, on par with cocaine and heroin because of its supposed potential for abuse and lack of medical applications. But 36 states plus the District of Columbia allow either full legalization for adult use or wide scale medical use, putting them at odds with federal law.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in NC will sell medical marijuana to non-members
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will make medical marijuana from its dispensary in western North Carolina available to people who are not members of the tribe. The Eastern Band of Cherokee announced last week that its Tribal Council had set into motion plans to grow and dispense medical marijuana on tribal land. Doses of […]