Medical marijuana and penalty reduction bills introduced in North Carolina

Last update: April 7, 2011


On April 1, a bipartisan group of North Carolina representatives introduced H 577, which would create a medical marijuana program in the Tar Heel State! Please email your representative asking him or her to support medical marijuana in North Carolina.

H 577 â?? introduced by Reps. Kelly Alexander, Jr. (D â?? Mecklenburg), Patsy Keever (D â?? Buncombe), Pricey Harrison (D â?? Guilford), Glen Bradley (R â?? Franklin, Halifax, Nash), Susan C. Fisher (D â?? Buncombe), and Paul Luebke (D â?? Durham) â?? would protect qualifying patients and their caregivers from arrest for possessing and growing marijuana, if the patient registers with the health department and has a doctorâ??s recommendation. It would also allow state-regulatated medical marijuana centers so patients will have safe, reliable, and immediate access to medical marijuana.

The medical marijuana bill joins other sensible legislation alive in Raleigh. In March, legislators introduced a bill that would downgrade simple possession of marijuana to an infraction, instead of a misdemeanor. The bill, HB 324, would also reduce penalties for possessing up to an ounce of marijuana from either a suspended sentence (for persons with no priors who possess under half an ounce of marijuana) or possible jail time to a civil fine of up to $100. State Reps. Kelly Alexander, Jr. (D â?? Mecklenburg) and Larry Hall (D â?? Durham) are the sponsors of HB 324. Please email your representative today and ask him or her to support this sensible and fiscally sound legislation.

In addition to MPP, Home - NC Medical Cannabis Act - HB 577 provides visitors up-to-date information on marijuana legislation pending in North Carolina. The purpose of the site is to serve as an information clearing house dedicated to passing medical marijuana legislation in North Carolina. Another important resource is the North Carolina Cannabis Patients Network, a former MPP grantee, which has worked to lobby legislators in the General Assembly and to build support for medical marijuana legislation in the community.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Would you or someone you know benefit from medical marijuana?

If you are a medical professional, a patient who might benefit from medical marijuana, or if you know somebody who might benefit from medical marijuana, we would like to hear from you. Additionally, if you are a law enforcement official, a clergy member, or a member of the legal community, please email [email protected] to see how you can be of special help.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Learn more about North Carolina's marijuana laws

Did you know that over 25,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession in North Carolina in 2007 alone? 91% of all marijuana arrests in North Carolina were for simple possession. If you believe that North Carolinaâ??s law-enforcement dollars could be better spent going after real criminals, write your legislators a letter urging them to support legislation reducing marijuana possession penalties. To learn more about marijuana laws in North Carolina, take a look at this report by economist Jon Gettman, Ph.D.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Write a letter to the editor in support of medical marijuana

If you are interested in composing a powerful 150- to 200-word letter to the editor, we'd be glad to help. Please send MPP an email at [email protected] along with a short description of why you support medical marijuana laws.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sign up now to stay up-to-date on North Carolina marijuana policy

To stay updated on the status of marijuana policy reform in North Carolina, be sure to subscribe to MPP's free legislative alert service, if you haven't done so already.