Could NC legalize medical pot? It’s coming up in the House – Medical Marijuana Program Connection

The North Carolina Compassionate Care Act would legalize medical marijuana in the state. The bill has gotten further than earlier efforts to make prescription pot available in North Carolina.

The legislation, SB3, passed the Senate in late February. On Tuesday, it will get its first hearing in the North Carolina House. The bill lays out tight regulations to make medical marijuana legal for a list of conditions, including cancer, AIDS/HIV and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Powerful Republican Sens. Bill Rabon and Michael Lee and Democrat Sen. Paul Lowe are the primary sponsors on the bill in the Senate. They shepherded the same bill through the Senate to pass last year, but that effort stalled out in the House.

“It seems to me that the idea is gaining momentum and obviously there’s strong support in the Senate,” Rep. Jon Hardister, a Guilford County Republican and the majority whip in the House, said as the bill passed the Senate 36-10 in late February.

“In general, it seems like the attitude among…