North Carolina Governor Steps Up Push For Marijuana Legalization As State Commission Issues New Report

A governor-appointed cannabis commission in North Carolina has issued an interim report after holding months of meetings focused on the issue. The group is recommending that the state move away from a criminalization-based approach to cannabis and toward a system of “robust” regulations that provide for adults’ legal access to THC products.

The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis, which Gov. Josh Stein (D) convened last year, says in the new document approved on Thursday that the current “absence of regulation for North Carolina’s intoxicating cannabis market raises numerous concerns,” noting that hemp products are readily available yet largely unregulated and that marijuana remains prohibited altogether in the state, even for medical use.

“North Carolina’s intoxicating cannabis market currently exists in a dangerous policy gap that is neither true prohibition nor meaningful regulation.”

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

Stein, for his part, thanked the group for its “expertise, hard work, and thoughtful deliberation” in a press release and reiterated his support for legalizing marijuana.

“Last year, I charged this group with developing a comprehensive solution to the unregulated sale of cannabis that is grounded in public health and public safety, with a special focus on keeping young people safe,” the governor said. “This report provides the General Assembly with guidance and makes clear that a well-regulated market, including both oversight and enforcement authority, is a safer market for our state.”

“Our state’s unregulated cannabis market today is the Wild West and is crying for order,” he said. “Let’s get this right. Let’s protect our kids and create a safe, legal, and well-regulated market for adults.”

The council’s report notes that North Carolina is “at a pivotal moment,” given that the state is one of only 10 that does not allow legal and regulated marijuana access for either recreational or medical use.

“In the absence of a recognized, regulated marijuana market, North Carolina has one of the largest illicit marijuana markets in the United States, with an estimated $3 billion spent on illegal marijuana in 2022, ranking second in the nation. Additionally, North Carolina’s current market for intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products is robust. These products have proliferated across the state through retail storefronts, vape shops, convenience stores, and online vendors. Intoxicating hemp-derived cannabinoid products, often marketed as legal alternatives to marijuana, are being sold in an environment without any uniform standards for manufacturing, testing, labeling, packaging, or age verification, and absent any enforcement or oversight authority.”

Under the prohibition approach that the state currently has, the report notes that there is an absence of age restrictions, packaging rules, purchase limits, licensing requirements, zoning guidelines and supply chain oversight. There is also a lack of tax revenue that can be used to address any health and safety concerns associated with marijuana use and commerce.

Looking ahead, the interim report recommends that rather than construct separate frameworks for hemp and marijuana, the state should enact molecule-based regulation focused on THC itself, saying that “the plant source is irrelevant and should not drive different treatment when the intoxicating compound is the same.”

It also suggests that when choosing how to regulate THC and cannabis, North Carolina should enact “an adult access market with protections for medical consumers.”

The panel, however, “does not view a medical-only program as an effective interim step or compromise solution,” and the state should proceed to adult-use access immediately while considering the “availability of medical-consumer protections” as “an important component of a broader regulatory structure.”

“Under this framework, adults would be permitted to legally purchase, possess, and use cannabis through state-licensed retail outlets. An adult-use market provides the state with a full regulatory framework and the tools necessary to manage it responsibly. The recommended system also incorporates rigorous medical-grade safeguards, including low-THC product options, comprehensive testing standards, expanded product warnings, recall authority, and access to qualified medical consultation, among others. Importantly, this model would provide the most robust regulatory framework for the state, providing the oversight tools necessary to manage the industry responsibly while generating state revenue. It allows for structured licensing fees and tax revenue to support oversight, the development of clear and enforceable rules, sustained public health messaging grounded in prevention and education, and dedicated resources for compliance and enforcement. This recommendation provides a structure to reign in the rampant hemp market that exists today, while providing necessary guardrails for both public safety and public health.”

“Of all possible regulation models, an adult access model would bring the most revenue to the state, which could support public health education campaigns and enforcement efforts,” the advisory council recommended.

The report also noted problems that could be caused by the fact that the state is lagging behind its neighbors that are moving ahead with enacting marijuana policy reforms.

“If surrounding states adopt regulated cannabis programs while North Carolina does not, the state could effectively become a prohibition jurisdiction situated among regulated markets, a dynamic that may complicate enforcement and influence the flow of products and consumers across state lines,” the report said.

Because the council only has the ability to recommend policies and not to actually enact them, members put the onus on state lawmakers to do so.

“Ultimately, the authority to bring order to the unregulated, unsafe cannabis market rests with the General Assembly,” the report notes. “The question before policymakers—and this Council—is not whether intoxicating cannabinoid products will exist in the marketplace in North Carolina. They already do. Rather, the question is whether the General Assembly will allow intoxicating products to continue to be sold without enforceable state standards, or whether it will establish a regulatory system designed to protect public health and public safety.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5aQ-f-XXJVo

The advisory council was formed after Stein issued an executive order last year, and is comprised of legislators, law enforcement officials, agriculture industry stakeholders, health experts, tribal representatives, advocates and others charged with exploring possible regulatory models for adult-use marijuana and hemp.

The governor’s order said there’s a need for reform because the “current lack of regulation, including age, potency, and purity limitations, poses a threat to all North Carolinians, particularly our youth.” And “rather than allowing this unsafe and unregulated market to continue, smart and balanced regulation presents an opportunity not only to protect the health and well-being of our people, but also to generate revenue that can benefit our state.”

Members are tasked with developing and submitting initial recommendations on a “comprehensive cannabis policy, including any proposed legislation,” with a final report due by December 31 of this year.

The interim report approved this week says that the final document “will incorporate continued stakeholder engagement, data analysis, and policy development and will present a research-based and data-driven comprehensive framework intended to bring structure, accountability, and public confidence to a future North Carolina cannabis marketplace.”

In the meantime, the council is continuing its work with new subcommittees focused on regulatory structure, enforcement and criminal justice reform and revenue and federal compliance.

During his time as the state’s attorney general, Stein led a separate task force under then-Gov. Roy Cooper (D) that examined racial injustice issues and ultimately recommended decriminalizing marijuana and studying broader legalization in response to racially disparate enforcement trends.

In recent legislative sessions, multiple limited medical marijuana legalization bills advanced through the Senate, only to stall out in the House.

Meanwhile, a tribe in North Carolina, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, launched the state’s first marijuana dispensary in 2024—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers.

Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.

Maryland Lawmakers Pass Bill To Protect Firefighters And Rescue Workers Who Use Medical Marijuana Off Duty

Maryland lawmakers have approved a bill to protect firefighters and rescue workers from being penalized over their lawful use of medical marijuana off the job.

The House of Delegates passed the legislation, HB 797 from Del. Adrian Boafo (D), on third reading by a vote of 100-31 on Thursday, days after it advanced through the Economic Matters Committee.

A Senate companion version of the cannabis measure sponsored by Sen. Carl Jackson (D) advanced through that chamber last month.

This marks the latest in a series of attempts over recent sessions to enact the reform aimed at giving emergency service professionals the option to use cannabis as an alternative treatment for health conditions that commonly afflict the first responder community, Boafo said at a earlier committee hearing on the bill.

Lawmakers are “bringing it back because it’s so critically important to our firefighters” and other rescue professionals who “work long shifts in tense emergencies and high-stress situations every day,” he said.

“Many experience chronic pain, injuries and anxiety as a direct result of serving our communities,” the lawmaker said. “Medical cannabis, when prescribed and used off duty, can help manage those conditions. But under current policies, firefighters who use medically prescribed cannabis can face retaliation or discipline from their employers, even when they’re following the law.”

“That leaves many of these public servants with a difficult choice: Either continue doing their jobs in pain, or turn to stronger prescription drug drugs, often opiates, just to get through the day,” Boafo said, while emphasizing that “nothing in this bill allows for impairment on the job” and that those who come to work impaired “will still face serious consequences and will be reported” to state emergency medical services regulators.

“Public safety remains a top priority here in Maryland, but our state must modernize its laws to protect employees who use medically certified cannabis responsibly and outside of the workplace,” he said. “Our firefighters and rescue professionals dedicate their lives to protecting us. They should not be punished for seeking legal, medically prescribed relief for the physical toll of that work.”

HB 797 would amend the state’s medical marijuana law by stipulating that firefighters, emergency medical technicians, cardiac rescue technicians and paramedics employed by the state or local governments could not face employment discrimination or retaliation for testing positive for cannabis metabolites if they’re a registered medical marijuana patient.

Specifically, employers could not “discipline, discharge, or otherwise discriminate against the fire and rescue public safety employee with respect to the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment” if they test positive while holding a medical cannabis registration.

Further, employers could not “limit, segregate, or classify its employees in any way that would deprive or tend to deprive the fire and rescue public safety employee of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect the fire and rescue public safety employee’s status as an employee.”

Nothing in the legislation would prohibit employers from taking action against an employee for showing up to work while under the influence of cannabis, and any instances where a public safety worker is found to be impaired while on duty would be reported to the State Emergency Medical Services Board.

The advancement of the House and Senate cannabis bills comes a year after officials in Maryland’s most populous county said they were moving to loosen marijuana policies for would-be police officers in an effort to boost recruitment amid a staffing shortage.

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Meanwhile in Maryland, lawmakers are also advancing legislation to extend a psychedelics task force through the end of 2027 to develop updated recommendations on expanding therapeutic access to the novel drugs and potentially creating a regulatory framework for broader legalization.

Legislators also took up a bill this session to protect the gun rights of medical marijuana patients in the state.

Members of the House Judiciary Committee discussed the legislation from Del. Robin Grammer (R), who has sponsored multiple versions of the cannabis and gun rights measure over recent sessions, but they have not yet advanced to enactment.

Marijuana Rescheduling Could Be Impacted If Trump Replaces Bondi As Attorney General With Zeldin

President Donald Trump announced on Thursday that Attorney General Pam Bondi will be transitioning out of the role. He is reportedly considering replacing her with Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lee Zeldin—a move that could have major implications for marijuana reform as a proposal to federally reschedule cannabis remains pending at the Department of Justice.

“Pam Bondi is a Great American Patriot and a loyal friend, who faithfully served as my Attorney General over the past year,” the president said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “Pam did a tremendous job overseeing a massive crackdown in Crime across our Country, with Murders plummeting to their lowest level since 1900. We love Pam, and she will be transitioning to a much needed and important new job in the private sector, to be announced at a date in the near future.”

On Wednesday, The New York Times had reported that Trump has grown “frustrated” with Bondi’s leadership at DOJ, in particular her handling of the release of files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

While the president told the paper in a statement that Bondi “is a wonderful person and she is doing a good job,” the report cited sources who said he has floated the idea of replacing her with Zeldin, who previously served in Congress and as a New York state senator and unsuccessfully ran for governor.

While The Times did not mention marijuana as a reason for Trump’s reported dissatisfaction with Bondi, it has been more than three months since he issued an executive order directing her to complete the process of moving cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act to Schedule III “in the most expeditious manner,” and that has not happened.

If Bondi, who opposed cannabis reform in Florida as that state’s attorney general, is replaced by Zeldin, who has a mixed record on cannabis reform, it could impact whether and how soon the rescheduling process is completed.

As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, he voted against a bill to federally legalize and tax marijuana in 2020 and was absent for a vote on a version of the legislation in 2022.

He voted in favor of 2015 amendments to protect state medical cannabis programs and CBD policies from federal interference but opposedamendments that year and in 2019 and 2020 to extend the protections to state recreational marijuana laws.

In 2015 and 2016, Zeldin voted for amendments to allow Department of Veterans Affairs doctors to issue medical cannabis recommendations.

In 2022, Zeldin voted against an amendment to require federal agencies to review security clearance denials going back to 1971 and retroactively make it so cannabis could not be used “as a reason to deny or rescind a security clearance.”

In 2019, he voted in favor of a bill to increase marijuana businesses’ access to banking services but missed a vote on a later version of the legislation in 2021.

In 2019 and 2021, Zeldin voted against amendments aimed at removing restrictions on psychedelics research.

In 2021 he voted for an anti-reform amendment to remove protections for universities that study marijuana.

As a state senator in New York, he voted against the bill that legalized medical cannabis in 2014.

In a 2022 gubernatorial debate with New York Gov. Kathy Hochul (D), Zeldin complained about smelling cannabis in public and said he is opposed to opening drug overdose prevention centers.

Also that year, he criticized state regulators’ move to give priority access to marijuana dispensary licenses for people with prior convictions in an interview with Tucker Carlson in which he also questioned New York City’s move to allow safe consumption sites for illegal drugs to operate.

In a now-deleted tweet, Zeldin said that “the Criminals for Kathy coalition is growing.”

“Cannabis dispensary licenses are going to start getting distributed in NY, & the Hochul admin will be giving FIRST PRIORITY to people previously convicted for marijuana offenses,” he said. “Hochul’s criminal first agenda is so wrong for NY.”

NORML gave Zeldin a C- grade in its “Smoke The Vote” guide.

Zeldin does not appear to have publicly weighed in on the idea of rescheduling marijuana, and his mixed record on legislation related to medical cannabis, easing the process of research on controlled substances and broader marijuana reform raises questions about where he personally stands on the issue.

In any case, the president has made clear that he wants cannabis to be moved to Schedule III, regardless of who is leading DOJ. It remains to be seen just how quickly that could happen under a new attorney general.

Trump said on Thursday that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche will serve as acting attorney general until Bondi’s replacement is confirmed for the position.

During his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation process, Blanche said in response to a written question about marijuana rescheduling from Sen. Peter Welch (D-VT) that he would “give the matter careful consideration after conferring with all relevant stakeholders, including [Drug Enforcement Administration] personnel.”

When asked about aligning federal and state marijuana laws, he said that “coordination between federal and state authorities is critically important” but that he had “not had the opportunity to study this particular issue.”

“If confirmed, I will consult with the necessary stakeholders and give this matter careful consideration,” he said.

Welch also asked about Obama-era enforcement guidance that directed prosecutors to generally not interfere with state cannabis laws, which was rescinded during the first Trump administration.

“I have not had occasion to study this particular issue,” Blanche replied. “If confirmed…I think it is important to empower our U.S. Attorneys, who we trust to follow the law and to follow Department rules.”