A trio of senators in North Carolina filed the Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act today, a proposal to legalize recreational cannabis that was filed in the House on Monday (currently with 17 sponsors).
Senators Graig Meyer (D), Jay Chaudhuri (D), and Natalie Murdock (D) introduced the Senate version of the bill, mirroring the House proposal.
The legislation would legalize marijuana for those 21 and older, allowing possession of up to two ounces of marijuana, 15 grams of concentrates, and marijuana products containing up to 2,000 milligrams of THC. It would also allow home cultivation of up to six plants, with additional harvested marijuana required to remain on the grower’s property.
The bill sets up a system of licensing for marijuana businesses and directs tax revenue toward community reinvestment, substance abuse treatment, and law enforcement training for impaired driving detection. A key provision of the bill includes automatic expungement of certain past marijuana convictions and provisions to ensure equitable industry participation for communities disproportionately harmed by prohibition.
In the House, HB 413 was filed on Tuesday with six sponsors, with that number growing to 17 at the time of publication.
With identical bills now filed in both chambers, supporters hope the bicameral backing will improve the chances of passage. However, marijuana reform has historically struggled in the Republican-controlled legislature, leaving the future of legalization uncertain despite growing public support.
