Politics
Decriminalizing Marijuana In North Carolina Is ‘On Top Of Everybody’s Minds,’ Incoming House Speaker Says
North Carolina is poised to substantially reform its marijuana laws following last week’s midterm elections in which Democrats won control of at least the House of Representatives, a top lawmaker says.
“Decriminalization of marijuana has been on top of everybody’s minds,” House Speaker-elect Robert Reives (D) said on Tuesday, according to WRAL.
The incoming top House official also spoke about the benefits of medical cannabis, particularly for military veterans.
“I’ve got a veteran family,” he said. “My dad served. My uncle served, and all that. And it’s just, I want everything we can to help our veterans, and that is one of the top items that people have talked about.”
Party control of the state Senate remains uncertain as one seat remains uncalled. If Democrats come out on top in that race, the chamber would be tied 25-25 and Lt. Gov. Rachel Hunt (D) would break tie votes.
The North Carolina Senate under GOP control has already approved legislation to legalize medical cannabis several times during recent sessions, though House Republican leadership has refused to allow the reform to advance.
Gov. Josh Stein (D), meanwhile, supports broader marijuana legalization and convened a state commission last year to evaluate options for updating cannabis laws.
The governor-appointed cannabis commission in North Carolina issued a report in April initially recommending that the state move away from a criminalization-based approach to the plant and toward a system of “robust” regulations that provide for adults’ legal access to THC products.
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis said that the current “absence of regulation for North Carolina’s intoxicating cannabis market raises numerous concerns,” noting that hemp products are readily available yet largely unregulated and that marijuana remains prohibited altogether in the state, even for medical use.
“Compared to regulated marijuana frameworks in other states, this environment presents identifiable risks,” the interim report says. “While some operators voluntarily implement consumer protection protocols, these safeguards are not required under state law.”
Stein, for his part, thanked the group for its “expertise, hard work, and thoughtful deliberation” put into the initial report and reiterated his support for legalizing marijuana.
Members are tasked with developing and submitting initial recommendations on a “comprehensive cannabis policy, including any proposed legislation,” with a final report due by December 31 of this year.
At a meeting in September, members discussed potentially recommending lawmakers legalize marijuana sales through a system of state-run stores that could be supplied by a “central cannabis warehouse”—while leaving cultivation and manufacturing to private businesses.
Meanwhile, the governor has continually pressured the GOP-controlled legislature to advance marijuana reform.
In August, Stein called on lawmakers to broadly legalize and regulate cannabis in a way that “protects kids” while they were considering a narrower bill to restrict hemp THC and kratom products.
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In September, a poll showed that North Carolinians strongly support legalizing medical marijuana, and that a majority wants to go even further by legalizing cannabis for recreational use.
During his time as the state’s attorney general, Stein led a separate task force under then-Gov. Roy Cooper (D) that examined racial injustice issues and ultimately recommended decriminalizing marijuana and studying broader legalization in response to racially disparate enforcement trends.
A tribe in North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, launched the state’s first marijuana dispensary in 2024—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers.
Democratic lawmakers recently filed legislation to allow voters to decide whether to legalize marijuana for personal or medical use at the ballot box this November, though that did not advance.
North Carolina enacted a law in the 1970s that allows people to avoid jail time for first-time low-level marijuana possession but cannabis remains illegal, with production unregulated.
Meanwhile, bipartisan North Carolina lawmakers have been stepping up the push for psychedelics reform legislation.
