NC Senate committee discusses medical marijuana bill
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>> STATE LAWMAKERS ARE TRYING
AGAIN THIS YEAR TO LEGALIZE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN NORTH
CAROLINA. AS YOU CAN SEE ON
THIS MAP, MORE THAN HALF OF THE
STATES IN THE COUNTRY HAVE
ALREADY DONE THIS RIGHT NOW.
ONLY MEDICAL CBD IS LEGAL IN
THIS STATE AND 11 OTHERS AS
THOSE ARE THE ONES YOU SEE
THERE IN YELLOW, THE NORTH
CAROLINA BILL WOULD BE THE MOST
RESTRICTIVE OF THEM ALL.
AND SOME SAY IT WON'T HELP
PEOPLE WHO NEED IT. MOST.
OUR CAPITOL BUREAU CHIEF LAURA
LESLIE JOINS US LIVE FROM THE
LEGISLATIVE BUILDING WITH WHAT
THEY'RE SAYING FLOOR.
>> GERALD, INTO THE BUILDING
WAS DISCUSSING THE SENATE
COMMITTEE TODAY IS THE SAME
ONE THAT THEY PASSED LAST YEAR.
BUT THE HOUSE WOULDN'T CONSIDER
IT AT THAT TIME SINCE THEN,
HOWEVER, SOME OF THE HOUSES
STAUNCHEST OPPONENTS OF MEDICAL
MARIJUANA HAVE ACTUALLY
RETIRED. SO THEY'RE HOPING IT
MIGHT BE BETTER THIS YEAR.
>> THE BILL WOULD LEGALIZE
MEDICAL MARIJUANA BY DOCTOR'S
PRESCRIPTION FOR A SHORT LIST
OF CHRONIC OR TERMINAL
CONDITIONS, INCLUDING PTSD,
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS, PARKINSON'S
AND NAUSEA FROM CANCER
TREATMENT AT A COMMITTEE
HEARING, CANNABIS ACTIVISTS,
CHRIS SUTTLE WAS ONE OF SEVERAL
SPEAKERS WHO HEARD THE MAKERS
TO EXPAND THE LIST TO COVER
OTHER ISSUES LIKE REDUCING
OPIOID USE FOR CHRONIC PAIN.
>> LET YOUR PHYSICIAN DECIDE
WHETHER YOU NEED TO CONTINUE
TO KEEP TAKING OPIOIDS FOR
SOMETHING. IF YOU DO NOT WANT
TO CONTINUE TAKING OPIOIDS,
THEN YOU SHOULD BE ALLOWED TO
HAVE MEDICINAL CANNABIS BE ONE
OF THE SOLUTIONS THAT YOU CAN
LOOK AT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN.
OTHERS SAY THE BILL IS TOO
RESTRICTIVE AND OTHER WAYS IT
CAPS THE NUMBER OF COMPANIES
WHO COULD SELL MEDICAL
MARIJUANA AT JUST 10.
>> AND IT WOULD REQUIRE THEM
TO DO ALL THEIR OWN GROWING
PROCESSING AND SELLING CANNABIS
ACTIVISTS. NICOLETTE BAGLIO
SAYS ONLY LARGE CANNABIS
CORPORATIONS COULD QUALIFY NOT
LOCAL HAVE BUSINESSES FROM THE
VIRUS TO THAT HAVE REALLY BEEN
BANKING ON ADDING A CANNABIS
THAT TO THEIR BUSINESS MODELS
ONCE-LEGALIZED.
>> I'M TO CUT ALL OF THEM OUT
ENTIRELY. SUPPORTERS OF THE
BILL SAID IT SETS UP AN
ADVISORY BOARD THAT CAN
RECOMMEND RULE CHANGES IN THE
FUTURE. SENATOR MICHAEL
REPRESENTS ONSLOW COUNTY HOME
TO MANY VETERANS. HE SAYS HE'S
IN FAVOR OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA
BECAUSE RESEARCH HAS SHOWN IT
CAN HELP VETERANS SUFFERING
FROM PTSD BY REDUCING ANXIETY,
VETERANS MAY BE ABLE TO BETTER
PROCESS THEIR TRAUMATIC
EXPERIENCE.
>> AND COPE WITH THEIR
SYMPTOMS. MORE EFFECTIVELY.
>> NOW, SOME SOCIAL
CONSERVATIVE GROUPS ALSO SPOKE
OUT AGAINST THAT BILL TODAY.
THE BILL IS SCHEDULED TO GET A
COMMITTEE VOTE NEXT WEEK.