RALEIGH, N.C. (WGHP) — A bill to legalize cannabis products for medical prescriptions has been passed to a second committee in the North Carolina Senate.
Senate Bill 3 – the “Compassionate Care Act” – was passed Tuesday in a voice vote by the Senate Judiciary Committee. It will next be considered by the Finance Committee as the issue winds its way toward a floor vote with significant bipartisan support.
The Senate last spring approved SB 711 but it never got a sniff from the House. This bill, which picked up a handful of amendments on Tuesday, is pretty much the same as its cousin.
SB3 would allow a certified physician to prescribe cannabis for certain maladies such as AIDS/HIV, Lou Gehrig’s disease and PTSD. The amendments approved unanimously all dealt with prescription language, process and policing of violations.
The changes would give priority to suppliers who commit to distribution centers across the state. There is a desire to put those centers in counties where there is less financial stability.
A bipartisan trio of sponsors, Republican Sen. Bill Rabon of Brunswick County, Democratic Sen. Paul Lowe of Winston-Salem and Republican Sen. Mike Lee of New Hanover, helped walk the bill through that process and passage. If the bill gets through Finance, the Rules/Calendar Committee would be its last stop before consideration by the full…
