This Southern State Is Still an Untapped Cannabis Market As Lawmakers Revisit Medical Marijuana Policy

By Jelena Martinovic, Featured Writer

North Carolina is still an untapped cannabis market, with a population of over 10 million, despite a strong support for the legalization of medical marijuana. While cannabis legislation has advanced through the state legislature in the past, it hasn’t moved past the House of Representatives. At least for now.

However, with the DEA moving to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act, recognizing accepted medical use, North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger signaled renewed openness to revisiting legalization, writes Marijuana Moment.

“We’ll have a conversation within our caucus as to whether or not we do something, if they’re interested in continuing to pursue that,” Berger said, as reported by WRAL-TV.

To that end, Sen. Bill Rabon, who has pushed for medical marijuana policy change before, is at the forefront of the legalization discussions, Berger continued.

Furthermore, the North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis and Gov. Josh Stein support legalization and regulation as well. They argue the policy change would improve safety and potential tax revenue. That said, traditional cannabis may be prohibited state-wide, but unregulated hemp-derived products, Delta-8/THCA, are widely available.

Stein convened the bipartisan commission last year, intending to examine potential regulatory models for recreational marijuana and hemp, reported Marijuana Moment. He issued an order at the time stressing “current lack of regulation, including age, potency, and purity limitations, poses a threat to all North Carolinians, particularly our youth.”

The governor-appointed cannabis commission issued an interim report earlier this month, which recommends setting up a comprehensive, THC-based regulatory system that would treat hemp and marijuana under the same rules. It also supports establishing an adult-use cannabis market with safeguards for medical users.

“Compared to regulated marijuana frameworks in other states, this environment presents identifiable risks,” the experts said in the report. “While some operators voluntarily implement consumer protection protocols, these safeguards are not required under state law.”