The interim report from the NC Advisory Council on Cannabis recommended that North Carolina lawmakers create a regulated adult-use cannabis system, calling the status quo "unacceptable."
The council recommends that the adult-use framework regulate cannabis products based on intoxicating effect, rather than maintaining separate systems for hemp and marijuana. The report argues a legal recreational program would add oversight, better protect consumers and children, and generate hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.
"North Carolina's cannabis marketplace has been characterized as a 'wild west' landscape," the report said. "The absence of statewide enforcement authority and regulatory guardrails have created uncertainty for consumers, responsible businesses, healthcare providers, educators, parents, and law enforcement, and most importantly, have put North Carolinians at risk," the report added.
Right now, North Carolina is one of just 10 states without a medical or adult-use cannabis program. Marijuana remains illegal in the state, but intoxicating hemp-derived products are widely sold in vape shops, convenience stores, and even gas stations.
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