A state senator from Mecklenburg County is one of three Democrats proposing constitutional amendments that would let voters decide whether to decriminalize small amounts of cannabis and whether to allow medical marijuana in North Carolina.
Sen. Caleb Theodros told WNCN that the General Assembly has failed to act on cannabis policy for about a decade.
“We’ve seen folks on both sides of the aisle say that North Carolina needs to move forward with either a policy or some kind of guidance around cannabis,” Theodros said.
North Carolina is one of about 10 states without a medical or recreational cannabis program. Last month, Gov. Josh Stein’s Advisory Council on Cannabis recommended creating an adult-use marijuana program, citing the state’s growing hemp industry and an estimated $3 billion illegal marijuana trade.
The proposed legislation, Senate Bill 1072, would need approval from three-fifths of both chambers of the General Assembly before the questions could appear on the ballot.