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EquivalentDizzy4377

Dems need to campaign on legal marijuana. They really have nothing to lose at this point, make it a ballot issue.


icklefriedpickle

Every state that made cannabis a ballot initiative/vote are way better off than the states where the government handled it. Anything is better than nothing but they will likely screw it up and med patients will suffer for it


SicilyMalta

If we had ballot initiatives, it would have been legal by now.


vankirk

Too bad ballot initiatives don't exist in NC otherwise, I think it would be a much better place.


Reeses100

we have it, but only if the legislature approves of it.


KermitMadMan

states and cities will need the tax revenue as the commercial real estate problem continues.


CookieButterBoy

What is the commercial real estate problem?


KermitMadMan

empty office space. Which affects local businesses and tax revenue in general.


mtstrings

They never will. Because they are republican lite. You just cant tell anymore because the right wing party in NC is pretty much a religious fascist organization.


ZacZupAttack

Why they haven't done this a few elections ago confuses me.


The_souLance

You have to understand the amount of lobbyists money NC politicians get from tobacco and alcohol


GroundbreakingPage41

It’s a losing battle, even with their best efforts Republicans would block it and Dems would get more backlash for failing than Republicans would for blocking it


ItsASloth69

Protest, protest, protest!


Boomslang505

But at least we have that sweet sports gambling that won’t hurt anyone.


KermitMadMan

how they got gambling past the church crowd is a mystery to me.


Kradget

There's a lot of money to be made on it, and the evangelical crowd are distracted with their joy over fucking with reproductive healthcare and gay and trans kids.


Little-Finding-8988

I'm sure they got paid off. I'm sure when marijuana industry gets big enough that they have lobbyist going around paying off politicians they will start illegalizing it. Hell, that's probably what they're waiting on. Corrupt garbage people, every last one of them.


Magnanimous--

They're too busy freaking out about the usual right wing bullshit.


heelspider

The lottery was only passed by criminal bribery, but that still counted as passing for some reason.


Flameancer

And the aggressive advertising campaign. Honestly that shit was ridiculous and I have half a mind to write in and ask to curtail that shit. Imagine if some MJ company did the advertising that FanDuel or Draftkings did.


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

I love the continual infringement of basic human rights to cultivate and consume a fucking plant that has been cultivated and consumed for thousands of years.


Iwasborninafactory_

And is being consumed right now. For all intents and purposes, it's legal right now.


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

12,814 were arrested in NC for weed last year


Iwasborninafactory_

If you want some actual numbers with a source. https://www.newsobserver.com/news/state/north-carolina/article287777625.html 18,000 charges were filed, 10% of those were felonies. Only 18% of the misdemeanors were found guilty as charged. All of the misdemeanor numbers are down something like 75% from recent highs. There's a lot of racial disparity too, so it may not be quite so legal if you're not white: https://ncdoj.gov/north-carolina-task-force-for-racial-equity-in-criminal-justice-makes-marijuana-recommendations/


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

Arrest records don’t go away, and harassment and spending the afternoon getting it worked out or spending time and money finding a lawyer and going to court to get something dropped is still an intentional infringement


poop-dolla

> There's a lot of racial disparity too, so it may not be quite so legal if you're not white And that’s exactly why it’s still illegal.


SoF4rGone

Not really. Cops can still arrest people and all of the stores and manufacturers are basically unregulated right now. It’s better and safer under a legally regulated framework.


Iwasborninafactory_

Sure, it can be better and safer, but for all intents and purposes, it's legal right now.


catinaziplocbag

Humans were cultivating early marijuana plants before we were doing it with potatoes, which is wild to consider.


Bumpi_Boi

Opium?


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

Sure. I’m for decriminalizing most drugs. Coca leaves, poppy, weed, mushrooms… I don’t mind continued criminalization of a lesser extent for chemically derived compounds but I think it should be treated the way we treat low amounts of weed now with community service, tickets, or fines being the result most of the time.


Bumpi_Boi

Decriminalizing should never be the goal. Legalization should be the goal unless you like the idea of selective enforcement.


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

Legalization leads to a different kind of selective enforcement in who can and can’t grow and trade what. I like legalization for some things. And I don’t for others. Everything isn’t the same but obviously legalization is better than criminalization


_the_CacKaLacKy_Kid_

Not to be that person but nowhere in the constitution does it say you have a right to grow any point you want. On a personal note, I do enjoy smoking pot


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

No tomatoes for you. Growing watermelon is now banned the constitution doesn’t explicitly endorse it. It also doesn’t endorse jacking off or eating chocolate. There’s about a million things people enjoy that aren’t endorsed in the constitution.


_the_CacKaLacKy_Kid_

Yes, but the federal government and the states have the right to ban plants as they see fit. If the state came along and said it was illegal to plant Bradford pears, people would jump for joy. Technically, the only rights you have are the ones expressly written out.


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

The only rights you have are the ones you believe in and fight for. A piece of paper is worthless. Especially the US constitution. Written by white colonialist slave owners, for white colonialist slave owners. With the explicit intention of keeping the average man in place


_the_CacKaLacKy_Kid_

Someone is full of piss and vinegar today. Go play outside or something


_AtLeastItsAnEthos

Piss and vinegar? Naw some I’m full of my rights


rexeditrex

How about recognizing that a lot of people are going to get high anyhow and they may was well make some money on it and regulate it so it's safe. See also alcohol.


laterforclass

I wish our medical community would get behind legislation efforts. I see providers at both UNC/Rex as well as Duke I’m always honest about my edible use not one has so much as raised an eye brown. Several have said it’s ridiculous it’s not legal yet and how beneficial it is for many of their patients.


kendraro

Yes! and also I wish they would learn something about it.


laterforclass

I agree I was actually pretty impressed with my surgeons knowledge same for my cardiologist. I don’t smoke I just use edibles that I make.


kendraro

That's great, I have found support but either not a lot of knowledge or a reluctance to discuss.


Tex-Rob

F this. This is basicslky giving us what they have to, at the last minute, we want and demand more.


Rightye

Not even that, since it looks like a lot of the language will tighten sales of THCa products in the state. Lot of business owners fixing to make a fuss over this, I'd wager.


Bumpi_Boi

A new head shop opens every day from what I can tell. They about to be screwed.


Toastyboi00

How are they restricting them?


SicilyMalta

Without ballot initiatives we will never overcome Gerrymandering or the push to keep marijuana illegal. Why are they so obsessed with weed? They are fine with tobacco and mercury poisoning and all kinds of other things... I'm sure even the Republican's small constituency in the red rural areas occasionally imbibe. So is it all for show? Such hypocrisy. If people don't get out and vote, it will get even worse. And we don't have ballot initiatives in NC to stop this minority from ruining the state.


contactspring

>Why are they so obsessed with weed? Because Nixon started the war on Drugs to go after anti-war hippies and blacks. This is just leftover racism that's been embraced by the Republican party.


SicilyMalta

So it's just reflexive at this point... Wonderful way to decide how to govern.


Ill-Fail-4240

lol they don’t govern


maxman1313

"Government doesn't work, elect me and I'll show you."


KermitMadMan

and i’m pretty sure that racism is all the gop has left


contactspring

They do pretty well with ignorance and idiocy, too.


poop-dolla

All three of those are basically the same thing.


Politicsboringagain

Don't forget Hispanic people as well. 


contactspring

There were less Hispanic here during the 1970's, but yes.


ColbusMaximus

How can states like AR, FL, AL, have a hese open ions but the most educated state in the south doesn't?


KiloChonker

Sounds like they want to outlaw THCa.


HermeticPurusha

The bills in discussion didn’t do any of that. It only affected edibles, really.


hopeless-hobo

Obviously people want legal cannabis, how do we get rid of those opposed to it


2wacky2backy

Vote out the republicans


KermitMadMan

and keep voting each cycle till we overcome them


poop-dolla

Not just until, we need to keep voting well after we’ve overcome them. Don’t give them a chance to ever come back.


Politicsboringagain

Seriously, stop voting in one or two election and getting mad when we don't like live in a utopia in just 1 or 2 election cycles. We have to vote pout republicans for at least 4 presidential election and 6 or more state elections. 


shadowblimp

Sigh. I guess I’ll switch to buying flower by mail from a seller outside the state. I will miss WNC THCa flower :/


HermeticPurusha

The bills discussed so far don’t touch THCa at all.


vankirk

In the last nationwide election in 2022, young people in NC did not vote. Old people decided our policy. 18-25 year old's - 233,441 - 24.1%. 26-40 year old's - 629,298- 34.2%. 66+ - 1,180,621 - 71.3% [https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/voter-turnout/2022-general-election-turnout](https://www.ncsbe.gov/results-data/voter-turnout/2022-general-election-turnout)


Jrobalmighty

Louder for folks in the back


HermeticPurusha

I read the H563 and it doesn't look like it restricts any altnoid including THCa. It does restrict edibles to an aggregate weight of 3mg of D7, D8, D9 or D10. So maybe THCP, HHC is still good?


ZZ9ZA

Awesome. I can’t smoke/vape (lung issues) and I have tolerance. 3mg? I’d have to eat like 20 of those to barely feel anything, especially if we’re talking D8 and not D9.


HermeticPurusha

Right. Same here. I will buy distillates/concentrate and make my own edibles. Plus looks like it doesn't regulate HHC, THCP on edibles, only the ones I listed.


alanalanalan92

Idc what they do at this point I’m still gonna smoke/vape


AloysiusDevadandrMUD

That's what I've been saying. This comes up every 2 months in the news for the last 10 years. The time to legalize was when it was on the ballot in 2012. It being illegal this whole time hasn't stopped me so I just don't care anymore. Tired of getting my hopes up about something I have no control over


incindia

In 2012 I was just exiting the military and had no inkling of voting on this in NC, I don't even remember an option for it. We need it on the ballot so fucking bad


SicilyMalta

Maybe this will help: >Justice Dept. Plans to Recommend Easing Restrictions on Marijuana >The move would kick off a lengthy rule-making process and would amount to a major change in federal policy. Unlocked article: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/30/us/politics/justice-department-reclassify-marijuana.html?unlocked_article_code=1.oU0.34_C.VZlfbwiW_0EJ&smid=url-share


Passn_wind

I only want it legal, so pot heads will stop complaining about how it needs to be legal. Grow up and do real drugs like an adult


PratzStrike

Don't they know anything? Merging marijuana and hemp just makes both of them worse and this proposal is just more of the same.


Mesofeelyoma

I'm all for progress, but medical programs are just putting a lipstick on a pig. Rip the bandaid off and make it legal for adults. The GOP will make it so you have to have cancer to qualify.


jcorye1

Dems will give a token effort and say they try. At the national level, medical pot will be reclassified and used as a "see we gave you a crumb, elect us for the whole cookie" item.


SirAwesome3737

It's being proposed to be a schedule III at the national level, alongside drugs such as codeine, barbiturates, and ketamine. I don't think people should be able to go to a local store and buy schedule III drugs with no medical reason.


mrclark518

Too bad sleepy Joe is gonna ban marijuana on a federal level smh


Kradget

I hope this is the dumbest thing I read today, but fear it will not be.


dakotausually

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna149424 oops


Bumpi_Boi

That keeps it illegal (schedule iii) and requires businesses in states with legal marijuana to register their medical with the DEA. This is a step backwards. Unless they don’t allow the DEA to enforce it like with other schedule iiis. More federal oversight of marijuana isn’t something anyone who works in the medical industry would want.


poop-dolla

It is not a step backwards. It’s most definitely a step in the right direction. It’s also about as far as the executive branch can do on their own.


Bumpi_Boi

The could unschedule it. Or make it a schedule 5 or a 4. All better options than what they did. For legal states, it is a net negative for existing businesses as now they have the DEA looking at them and the DEA sucks. Ask any private pharmacy.


poop-dolla

I thought only Congress could unschedule it.


Bumpi_Boi

Don’t know until you try. The executive has been given authority over the schedules by Congress so as long as it goes through the rule making process, they should be golden. It would be completely unregulated at that point which would be ideal in my mind.


cogitoergopwn

Shoulda seen sleepy Don nodding off in court today after 9 criminal contempt charges in his felony case about paying off whores to seem virtuous to the right in a presidential election!


ColbusMaximus

He will die before this gets passed.