North Carolina lawmakers are again considering adult-use cannabis legalization this year after Sen. Toby Fitch, a Democrat from Wilson and Edgecombe counties, put forth Senate Bill 765.
The 69-page bill, introduced May 30, aims to legalize and regulate the use, possession and sale of cannabis for adults 21 and older, according to a Port City Daily report.
S.B. 765 would allow adults 21 and older to possess up to 2 ounces of cannabis and grow up to two mature and two immature plants at home for personal use, the news outlet reported.
The bill would levy a civil penalty of $25 for those possessing more than 2 ounces, according to the Port City Daily, although those who possess more than a pound would still face felony charges.
The legislation also outlines marketing and advertising restrictions for adult-use cannabis sales, and allows adults to share cannabis as long as no money is exchanged, the news outlet reported.
Selling and distributing cannabis to minors, as well as transporting it in open containers or driving under the influence, would remain illegal under S.B. 765, according to the Port City Daily.
The bill would create a Cannabis Control Commission to oversee the adult-use cannabis market, the news outlet reported, and a 20-member Cannabis Equity Reinvestment Board would be established under the North Carolina Department of Commerce to address social equity.
S.B. 765 proposes a 21% sales tax on adult-use cannabis and would allow North Carolina’s municipalities to levy and additional 3% tax, the Port City Daily reported.
The legislation is under review in the Senate Rules and Operations Committee, according to the news outlet.
This year’s adult-use cannabis legalization proposal contains more details than last year’s House Bill 617, which stalled at the end of the 2021 legislative session, the Port City Daily reported.
Bipartisan medical cannabis legislation, Senate Bill 711, is also making its way through the Legislature this year.
RELATED: North Carolina Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill Expected to Resurface Next Year
Called the N.C. Compassionate Care Act, the legislation would allow qualifying patients who receive a doctor’s recommendation to access a 30-day supply of medical cannabis through state-licensed retailers.
Last year’s medical cannabis legalization proposal advanced through three Senate committees before lawmakers postponed a vote until 2022 in order to focus on the state budget and redistricting process during the final months of the year.
