The North Carolina Senate Health Care Committee approved SB 711 on August 26, the revised medical cannabis bill circulating the Senate. Previously, it passed the Judiciary committee and the Finance committee before being sent back to the Judiciary committee to assess the added amendments. The last stop for SB 711 before heading to the Senate floor is the Rules and Operations Committee. There, the committee chairman is the bill’s sponsor, Senator Bill Rabon, R. 

Amendments

The Health Care Committee added four amendments to SB 711. The first would modify the membership requirements for the Advisory board. For physicians to qualify for recommending medical cannabis to patients, physicians must first be in good standing with the DEA. They must not have any inquiries from the DEA on previous prescriptions and no convictions from the state regarding any matter. Then, physicians must meet additional requirements for continued education within the state. 

Next, the committee also approved an amendment to change the membership of the regulatory body. This board will look over the medical cannabis industry and determine what medical conditions qualify and which ones don’t. Additionally, new requirements for seed-to-sale tracking were added to make sure nothing goes unchecked and potentially ends up on the black market. 

Third, the committee established business requirements surrounding locations, hours of operation, visibility, advertising, and minimum standards on testing. Finally, annual report requirements became modified. Plus, researchers received protection under the bill from any criminal liability for possessing cannabis for their studies.

Outcry

Despite these changes, activists are crying out against one of the main clauses in SB 711. To apply for a license, the company must have at least five years of experience “in cultivation, production, extraction, product development, quality control, and inventory management of medical cannabis in a state-licensed medical or adult use cannabis operation.”

This only allows licenses to go exclusively to out-of-state, corporate businesses over small, in-state businesses who haven’t had the chance to gain experience. “Although we are in strong support of medical marijuana legalization and the relief it will bring to patients in North Carolina, we remain concerned about the lack of opportunities for small and independent businesses,” said Marijuana Policy Project senior legislative counsel DeVaughn Ward. It is unknown if lawmakers will change this requirement.

Next Steps

SB 711 now heads to the Rules and Operations Committee before heading to the Senate floor for debate. Should it pass both of those, then SB 711 moves to the House of Representatives. Lawmakers have until the end of the day on August 31 to move SB 711 forward before the session ends. Once it ends, all unfinished bills become null and void. Lawmakers must resubmit them for consideration during the next regular session. 

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