North Carolina Democratic Party Passes Resolutions in Support of Medical Marijuana

North Carolina Democratic Party Passes Resolutions in Support of Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hemp
â?¢by Erik Altieri, NORML Communications CoordinatorJune 19, 2012






Hot on the heels of the Texas Democratic Partyâ??s endorsement of marijuana decriminalization, the North Carolina Democratic Party endorsed two resolutions in support of marijuana law reform of their own. On Saturday, June 16th, the party held their state convention in Raleigh, NC. During this meeting they passed two reform minded resolutions, one calling for the legalization of medical marijuana and one for the industrial cultivation of hemp. The official text of the resolutions are as follows:


51. IN SUPPORT OF LEGALIZING MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN NORTH CAROLINA (11TH CD)

WHEREAS, â??Medical Marijuanaâ?� has been demonstrated to be an effective drug for treatment of certain human ailments; and
WHEREAS, Current North Carolina law denies doctors the right to treat patients by prescribing
Medical Marijuana; and
WHEREAS, Many states currently allow doctors to prescribe Medical Marijuana, a policy resulting in relief from pain and suffering for their patients; and
WHEREAS, Many other treatments legally prescribed by doctors are known to be extremely dangerous when misused.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That the State of North Carolina grant doctors the right to prescribe Medical Marijuana in the same way they prescribe other drugs; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, That the State of North Carolina legalize the use of Medical Marijuana.

52. IN SUPPORT OF THE RENEWAL OF INDUSTRIAL HEMP AS AN AGRICULTURAL CROP IN NORTH CAROLINA (11TH CD)

WHEREAS, in 2006, the N.C. State Legislature passed a Bill (House 1723/Senate 1572) to create an independent commission to study the beneficial uses of industrial hemp, among other studies, but there has never been any report or follow through to the study, and
WHEREAS, American companies are forced to import millions of dollarâ??s worth of hemp seed and fiber products annually from Canada, Europe, and China, thereby effectively denying American farmers an opportunity to compete and share in the profits; and
WHEREAS, nutritious hemp foods can be found in grocery stores nationwide and strong durable hemp fibers can be found in the interior parts of millions of American cars; and
WHEREAS, buildings are being constructed using hemp and lime mixture, thereby sequestering carbon; and
WHEREAS, retail sales of hemp products in this country are estimated to be over $400 million annually; and
WHEREAS, industrial hemp is a high-value low input crop that is not genetically modified, requires little or no pesticides, can be dry land farmed, and uses less fertilizer than wheat and corn; and
WHEREAS, the reluctance of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to permit industrial hemp farming is denying agricultural producers in this country the ability to benefit from a high value, low-input crop, which can provide significant economic benefits to producers and manufacturers; and
WHEREAS, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration has the authority under the Controlled Substances Act to allow this state to regulate industrial hemp farming under existing laws and without requiring individual federal applications and licenses.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, That N.C. Democratic Party urge legislators to recognize industrial hemp as a valuable agricultural commodity; to define industrial hemp in Federal law as non-psychoactive and genetically identifiable species of the genus Cannabis; to acknowledge that allowing and encouraging farmers to produce industrial hemp will improve the balance of trade by promoting domestic sources of industrial hemp; and to assist United States producers by removing barriers to State regulation of the commercial production of industrial hemp; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Drug Enforcement Administration to allow the State to regulate industrial hemp farming under existing state laws and regulations, or those to be passed, without requiring federal applications, licenses, or fees; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Secretary of State shall forward copies of this resolution to the President of the United States, the Attorney General of the United States, the Administrator of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, the United States Secretary of Agriculture, and to each member of the stateâ??s Congressional Delegation.

Source: North Carolina Democratic Party 2012 Resolutions

When politicians long considered opposed to marijuana law reform, such as those in Texas and North Carolina, openly endorse rational marijuana policy measures, you have to ask yourself: Just how many more dominos need to fall before our federal politicians finally wake up and end our countryâ??s war on cannabis consumers? At lest one thing is certain, however, and that is all the momentum is behind reform and these recent victories for sensible marijuana laws are only just the beginning.







Tags : carolina, convention, democratic, Democrats, endorse, hemp, marijuana, Medical, north, party, reform, resolutions, state, support
Posted in : ACTIVISM, GOVERNMENT, LEGISLATION, SOCIETY

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40 Responses to â??North Carolina Democratic Party Passes Resolutions in Support of Medical Marijuana and Industrial Hempâ?�

it's about time. Seems like it could not be with Bev in controll. Maybe we won't be the last after all. LOL

Won't happen. Too many republicans in the state and with Perry Parks as point-man it will not happen. Make a change in direction and it might be possible. Don't forget that North Carolina was one of only 2 states who REFUSED to hold a convention to vote on re-legalization of alcohol. Lots of rednecks and jesus-freaks in that state. My happiest day was seeing the welcome to North Carolina sign in my rear-view mirror as I left.....and I did not let the door hit me in the ass on the way out.

hello. adding that 'industrial hemp' rider to the medical "marijuana" seems a giveaway. hemp will bring all industrial opposition to attention. good luck. after speaking with one of my Senators (the other was too cowardly), you can have comfort in knowing Alabama is racing for last place. we have to take baby steps instead of one stroke of the pen from dear leader. the Pres needs to be forced into doing anything. in DC they are stoners, so people needing change have to travel from around the country to sit in front of dear leader and pressure him into changing the classification of cannabis on the narcotic scale. how many can afford to do that? in time the last surviving generation of squares will perish from the corporate party, and cannabis will replace alcohol as the go to drug for politicians wanting to have sex.