Governor Josh Stein has announced the formation of a new advisory council tasked with examining North Carolina’s approach to cannabis policy, including the potential for expunging past marijuana convictions and legalizing adult-use marijuana.
North Carolina Governor Josh Stein.
The move comes as Stein pushes for stricter regulations on intoxicating cannabis products and calls for a balanced system that protects public health while allowing adults legal access.
In an interview this week, Stein said the current lack of rules surrounding hemp-derived THC products has essentially turned North Carolina into “the most liberal, pro-marijuana adult-use state in the country,” despite the state never having formally legalized marijuana.
“It’s the wild West out there,” said Stein. “We’ve got kids able to buy intoxicating cannabis, THC. We’ve got adults buying it with having no idea what’s in that product.”
To address the situation, Stein announced plans to launch a new advisory council made up of lawmakers, law enforcement officials, public health experts, and industry stakeholders. The group will study how the state should handle cannabis products and potentially move toward a regulated system similar to how liquor is controlled by the North Carolina Alcoholic Beverage Control System.
Stein, a Democrat and longtime supporter of marijuana reform, reiterated his belief that adults should be allowed to access THC products legally, but said it must be done in a way that protects children. He’s also considering expunging minor marijuana offenses through his clemency powers, while encouraging lawmakers to pass broader decriminalization and legalization laws.
“What I want to do is make sure that we have a smart, sound policy response to what’s going on in the real world,” Stein said. “If you are an adult and that’s the choice you want to make, you should be able to make that choice.”
Stein’s comments reflect growing pressure for reform in a state where other jurisdictions, like Orange and Chatham counties, have already decriminalized low-level possession. A 2020 racial justice task force Stein co-chaired previously recommended statewide decriminalization due to racial disparities in enforcement, and the governor says the state should now consider full legalization.
Stein has tapped lawmakers from both parties to join the new council, including Senator Bill Rabon (R), a longtime medical marijuana advocate, and Representative John Bell (R), who also serves as president of a hemp company. The inclusion of Republicans signals Stein’s intent to build bipartisan consensus in a legislature that has blocked previous reform efforts.
Despite repeated Senate passage of a medical marijuana bill in recent years, the House has yet to allow it to a floor vote. But with new leadership in place, Stein says the time is right for action—and for treating marijuana like any other adult product.
“Adults should be able to use cannabis with intoxicating THC if they want,” said Stein. “But what I really support is making sure that kids cannot buy it. And by law today in North Carolina, they can. That is absolutely unacceptable to me.”
The formation of Stein’s advisory council on cannabis comes several weeks after the introduction of legislation to legalize recreational cannabis, which currently has 24 sponsors in the House and Senate.
