A bill legalizing medical marijuana in North Carolina passed a floor vote in the state Senate Tuesday, where it has strong bipartisan support.
The bill, which passed 36-10, will have to have one more vote in the Senate, but that is mostly a pro-forma vote. The bill then heads to the House, where its fate is less certain.
The N.C. Compassionate Care Act, SB3, passed the Senate last year but stalled out in the House. This year’s bill is essentially the same as last year’s with some minor changes. It would legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina through tightly regulated prescriptions and dispensaries.
“It seems to me that the idea is gaining momentum and obviously there’s strong support in the Senate,” said Rep. Jon Hardister, a Guilford County Republican and the majority whip in the House. “In general, it seems like the attitude among members of the House is shifting more in favor of the legislation.”
Who could get a medical marijuana prescription?
The bill would only allow medical marijuana to be prescribed to people with “debilitating medical conditions.” In the current proposal, those conditions are:
- Cancer
- Epilepsy
- HIV/AIDS
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Crohn’s disease
- Sickle cell anemia
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (subject to evidence that an applicant experienced one or more traumatic events)
- Multiple sclerosis
- Cachexia or wasting syndrom
- Severe or persistent nausea in a person who is not pregnant that is…
