North Carolina Cannabis and Marijuana License

North Carolina Cannabis and Marijuana License

19 states of the USA have already legalized marijuana. Some states have legalized recreational marijuana use only recently. However, North Carolina is not on this list.

Moreover, North Carolina has not even legalized the use of medical marijuana yet. At the moment, Bill 711 is a pending issue in the North Carolina Senate. If the act is accepted, medical marijuana will be legal in the state. But, specialists think, even if the Senate approves the Bill, it will still be too restricted and conservative.  Recreational weed, however, is out of the question. Authorities think that this is a potential risk to children and their well-being.

According to public polls:

  • More than 73% of voters are for medical marijuana legalization
  • More than 50% of voters are for recreational weed

Penalties for marijuana possession in NC

To own any amount of weed in the state is illegal. Having 0.5 – 1.5 ounces of weed for personal usage is a serious crime. Thus, it leads to imprisonment:

  • 1-45 days jail time
  • up to a $1000 fine

If the amount of marijuana is less than 0.5 ounces, the owner still pays a $200 fine.

Only patients with epilepsy can own a very small amount of cannabis.

Also, the possession of 10 and more pounds of marijuana is considered a felony. It is subject to imprisonment. The minimum punishment is:

  • 25 months jail time
  • fine starting from $5000

Why will NC legalize marijuana?

The state will probably legalize medical weed, because

  • It will enhance the state’s economy
  • Help patients with severe conditions

Medical marijuana in NC

At the moment, however, in North Carolina cannabis use is fully illegal. This is also true for medical marijuana.
Only patients with intractable epilepsy are qualified for medical marijuana.

But, if the Senate accepts Bill 711, soon there will be new laws and acts on medical marijuana.

In this regard, the specialists already foresee the main points and regulations that legalization will bring forth. Hence, they have already come up with important points that are worth putting in here.

Who will get medical marijuana?

Getting a cannabis license in Alabama is also not difficult. To get medical marijuana, the patient will undergo a full examination. Then, the patient will get a certificate proving his/her medical condition. Patients will possibly pass drug testing as well.

Below are the possible diseases and medical conditions that will qualify medical marijuana usage in NC:

  • Epilepsy
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Cancer
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Crohn’s disease
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Sickle cell anemia
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Multiple sclerosis

Other medical conditions may later complete the list. Again, when medical marijuana becomes legal in North Carolina, a special Medical Board will be formed. Certainly, the Board will manage the field and suggest the full list of the diseases and conditions.

How will I obtain medical marijuana?

When medical marijuana becomes legal in NC, there will be authorized and licensed centers and dispensaries in the state. These centers will engage in the production and sales of cannabis.

For the time being, the state envisions the existence of 40 such centers in the state.

In North Carolina, there are about 41 economically distressed counties. Thus, 20 of the centers and marijuana dispensaries will open their doors in these counties. So, the patients will be able to buy medical marijuana without much difficulty.

In reality, 40 centers are not enough for North Carolina. The state is large and the patients with health conditions will still have to cross long distances to get their monthly weed.

Home-grown medical marijuana

Patients in North Carolina will get marijuana only from dispensaries. Thus, home-grown weed is illegal in the state. No one has the right to grow cannabis at home. Even patients with severe conditions will not be able to grow weed for their own needs.

Marijuana licenses in NC

For the production and sales of medical marijuana, the applicants will have to submit certain documents and proof.

The applicants should:

  • Be residents of NC for at least 2 years
  • Be at least 21 years old
  • Have 5 and more years of experience in production, cultivation, quality control, etc.
  • Have technical means for production, growing, etc.
  • Show financial stability and ability to operate

Together with the application, there is a non-refundable fee. For the North Carolina Cannabis and Marijuana License applicants should pay:

  • $50,000 fee
  • +$5,000 for each type of license

Also, medical marijuana providers will have to renew their North Carolina Cannabis and Marijuana license every year. The renewal price is:

  • $10,000
  • +$1,000 for each license type

Moreover, each employee of the center will have a registry identification card. This will cost $250 for each employee.

Besides, the medical marijuana suppliers will pay 10% of the gross income to the state.

How much medical marijuana will the patients get?

The patients will get the amount of marijuana that will be equal to their 30-day supply.

Note, that patients cannot inhale medical weed. In North Carolina smoking marijuana is illegal, although doctors have long proved that smoking weed can relieve the pain almost at once.

Medical Marijuana for patients under the age of 18

Patients that are qualified for medical marijuana but are under 18 cannot obtain their own supply. For this, underage patients should have caregivers. The caregiver can be:

  • the patient’s parent
  • legal guardian

Moreover, a caregiver can have more than one patient. For this purpose, he/she should register for each patient separately. The payment for each registry card is $25.

Zara N

Zara N

Zara is a content writer and a psychologist. She loves both of her professions with passion. The spheres she has chosen seem totally different. Anyway, she has so far succeeded in combining and linking them. Zara works as a family psychologist daytime and in the evenings she immerses in writing. Besides working as a content writer, she has managed to write her own books. She is an author of a psychological book for parents called “Some issues on upbringing”. She also writes therapeutic stories for children. Right now Zara is writing (or trying to write) her first psychological novel.