The North Carolina Governor’s Cannabis Advisory Council is seeking public input on marijuana policies ahead of their first meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
A Governor’s executive order was issued in June to create the North Carolina Cannabis advisory council. The North Carolina Cannabis Advisory Council, which is led by Josh Stein (D), a supporter of marijuana legalization and includes tribal representatives, legislators, agricultural industry stakeholders, health professionals, tribe representatives, advocates, etc., also comprises members who are Josh Stein’s supporters. The council’s goal is to examine possible models of regulation for cannabis and hemp used by adults.
“If you are an adult and that’s the choice you want to make, you should be able to make that choice,” Stein said when he signed the executive order—but he added that he didn’t have all the policy answers himself.
I have a few philosophical thoughts on the matter,” he replied, “but every single decision has real, complex and practical implications.”
The first council meeting will be held on Tuesday.
The North Carolina Advisory Council on Cannabis was created by Governor Josh Stein through Executive Order No. “16 seeks public comments on cannabis policies that are important for you and your communities,” asks an open ended comment form posted this week on the Council’s website.
In the order establishing the new body, it is stated that reforms are needed because “the current lack of regulations, such as age, potency and purity limits, pose a serious threat to North Carolinians in general, but especially our youth.” It also says, “rather then allowing the unregulated and unsafe market to continue, smart and balanced regulation offers an opportunity to not only protect our citizens’ health, but to create revenue for our state.”
Stein has reiterated support for the legalization of marijuana. He stressed the importance of creating a cannabis program that is regulated to reduce the risk associated with the products on the market.
In a social media video, he mentioned that hemp-based products are sold by retailers who have little quality control or oversight.
He said: “Just walk into a vape shop, and you will see that there’s no minimum legal age for purchasing these products. This means kids can and do buy them without any labeling requirement,” he explained. Adults use them for recreational purposes without knowing what is in them, or how much of THC they contain.
Following its initial meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, the Council will convene every second month until December 2026. The members will have to develop and submit initial recommendations for a comprehensive cannabis policy including proposed legislation, by May 15th 2026.
The deadline for final recommendations is December 31, 2026.
The governor, rather than insisting on the status quo in the state, has said that it should legalize marijuana to adults over 21. This would be a major policy shift for North Carolina. It is currently one of only a few states without an extensive medical cannabis program.
Stein headed a task force that was separate from the then Governor’s office during his tenure as attorney general. Roy Cooper (D) that examined racial injustice issues and ultimately recommended decriminalizing marijuana and studying broader legalization in response to racially disparate enforcement trends.
In recent sessions, multiple limited medical marijuana legalization bills advanced through the Senate, only to stall out in the House.
Stein argues that a comprehensive reform of the recreational marijuana market would avoid problems that have been experienced by other states in transitioning their medical markets to adult-use markets.
This position could put Sen. Bill Rabon, a member of the advisory Council appointed by the Republican Party, in an uncomfortable situation, since the Senator has championed medical marijuana legislation bipartisanly and insists it shouldn’t be seen as a move toward legalizing adult use.
Meanwhile, in the House, Rep. Aisha Dew (D) filed a bill in April that would legalize medical marijuana for patients with a variety of specified conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, HIV/AIDS, Parkinson’s disease, PTSD, end-of-life care and other serious ailments.
The North Carolina Compassionate Care Act is considerably more detailed than a separate Democrat-led medical cannabis bill introduced earlier that month that would allow access only for patients enrolled in a “registered research study.”
Advocates had been awaiting House introduction of a comprehensive bill, especially since Senate President Phil Berger (R) said his chamber is deferring to the House to move first on medical marijuana reform this session.
North Carolina has introduced two other bills to legalize marijuana. In the Senate S350, the bill creates a system for adult and medical use of marijuana, while in the House H413 legalizes only recreational marijuana.
House Speaker Destin Hall (R) said in early March that Republicans in his chamber could be willing to consider medical marijuana legalization this session. Hall did not indicate that any House legislation was imminent, but suggested the Senate would be responsible for bringing in new legislation.
The voters, on their side, appear to be in favor of cannabis reform. A poll published in February found that 71 percent of likely voters in North Carolina support legalizing medical marijuana in the state, with majorities across party lines and in every surveyed demographic—aside from people over the age of 80—in favor.
The former House Speaker Tim Moore, (R), said in a statement last year that despite his personal support for medical marijuana legalization, in the House there was an informal rule that required at least 35 GOP members to back a bill to get it on the floor.
Hall, currently the House Speaker, has previously expressed opposition to reforms relating to medical cannabis.
Former House Majority Leader John Bell (R) said in 2023 that while there were “still discussions going on” about medical marijuana legislation, he was “very sure you won’t see that bill move” due to insufficient support among Republicans. Sadly, he said.
An Indian tribe in North Carolina launched the state’s first medical marijuana dispensary last April—despite the protests of certain Republican congressional lawmakers. More than a week after legal marijuana sales kicked off to all adults at The Great Smoky Cannabis Co. in Cherokee last year, thousands from across the region made purchases.