The vast majority of states have implemented some type of cannabis reform, but a few holdouts remain. Fortunately for advocates, the dominoes continue to fall, and one longtime prohibition state is finally considering legalization.
North Carolina Gov. Josh Stein issued an executive order this week establishing a cannabis advisory council. The group will offer recommendations on the regulation and taxation of marijuana in the state, with proposed legislation expected to be introduced next March. A second round of final recommendations is due by the end of 2026.
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The executive order states, “cannabis with intoxicating levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is widely available and unregulated in the state of North Carolina; and the current lack of regulation, including age, potency, and purity limitations, poses a threat to all North Carolinians, particularly our youth.”
Stein said in a press release that the council should propose developing a regulatory system that “allows adult sales, ensures public safety, promotes public health, supports North Carolina agriculture, expunges past convictions of simple THC possession, and invests the revenues in resources for addiction, mental health, and drugged driving detection.”
The state’s General Assembly would have to enact any laws proposed by the 24-member council. Council members include representatives of state agencies, law enforcement, legislators, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, which operates a dispensary on tribal land.
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The robust council includes at least two pro-cannabis lawmakers: Republican state Sen. Bill Rabon and GOP Rep. John Bell. Rabon has championed medical marijuana legalization at the General Assembly, while Bell is an executive at a hemp company who has called for stricter industry regulation.
“Let’s work together on a thoughtful, comprehensive solution that allows sales to adults and that is grounded in public safety and health. We can work together and get this right,” Stein concluded in the press release.
*The Associated Press contributed to this piece.
