‘Light up,’ says NYC Mayor Adams, defying state’s desire to crack down on illegal weed

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On Friday (June 3), New York City Mayor Eric Adams gave the green light to millions of New Yorkers to light up some weed and enjoy themselves. And he doesn’t care if you’re smoking or selling unlicensed cannabis, for now. 

“Enjoy yourself, light up, but most importantly, spend some money,” the Mayor said during an appearance at the Cannabis World Congress and Business Expo at Javits Center in Manhattan.  

New York’s adult-use market could kick off before 2022 ends. The grey area between now and then is wide open, and Adams doesn’t see the harm in allowing the dozens of weed trucks, private clubs, and gifting shops that have been operating in the open since the state passed legalization in March 2021.

But not all lawmakers in The Empire State are riding with Mayor Adams’ relaxed approach. 

The day before the mayor said “light up,” New York’s Senate, led by Sen. Liz Krueger, passed a bill that would crack down on illicit possession and sales. That bill needed approval from the state Assembly before the end of last week to move forward. But Friday passed without a vote, as Mayor Adams’ words rang loud and clear. The Senate-backed bill is now on ice until 2023.

Adams is playing the good cop

NYC Mayor Adams (Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP)
“Enjoy yourself, light up, but most importantly, spend some money,” says Mayor Adams. (Eduardo Munoz/Pool Photo via AP)

Mayor Adams told the Javits Center crowd that he doesn’t want to approach the state’s budding cash crop—New York expects to collect $1.25 billion from legal weed in the next six years—with heavy hands. He says he intends to give warnings and wrist-slaps to those bending the rules. 

“‘Listen, you can’t do this,’ give them a warning,” Adams, a former NYPD cop, said of his plans for dealing with unlicensed dealers. Instead of fines and arrests, he said he wants to help all non-licensed dealers take steps towards starting legitimate cannabis businesses.

The Mayor has earmarked $5 million in his executive budget to help New Yorkers apply for recreational cultivation licenses. But he also said that sellers who refuse to comply after their wrist slaps could face “some form” of enforcement.

“If they refuse to adhere to the rules, then you have to come back and take some form of enforcement actions, such as a summons, such as, you know, talking about their ability to sell alcohol.”

Mayor Adams

In April, Mayor Adams flirted with the idea of putting greenhouses on top of city buildings to grow weed and employ residents. Officials in Thailand and other nations have invested heavily in cannabis job growth recently.

An audience member at the Cannabis World Congress and Business expo said he was about to step outside and smoke a joint since “the mayor told us we can do it.” Adams also laughed off a reporter who asked if he had ever smoked cannabis before.

“We need to incentivize those who have their illegal trucks or have the trucks going on to show them that this is a better pathway,” he said. “The goal is to not leave people behind.”

Related

Cannabis ‘Gifting’ Economy Springs up in Massachusetts

The race to win the weed-wild east

New York joins New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Illinois on the forefront of baking social equity into their cannabis policy. Getting equity right will be a key part of the recipe for every state racing to become the East’s premium cannabis market. As western states have already learned, its not about who legalizes first, but who legalizes right.

In New Jersey, over half of recreational cannabis licenses have gone to “diversely-owned businesses” that are majority-owned by residents who identify as Black, Latinx, Asian, veteran, or a woman, as well as residents from “impact zones” that were most impacted by the failed War on Drugs. 

New York lawmakers are exploring the idea of having private equity investors partner with legacy and micro business operators to change lanes into the legal market. But they have good reasons for approaching the situation lightly.

In 2018, the New York Times reported that “Hispanic people across New York City had been arrested on low-level cannabis charges at five times the rates of white, non-Hispanic people over the previous three years; in Manhattan, Black people had been arrested at 15 times the rate of white people, even though surveys indicated that the rates of cannabis use were similar for both groups.”

Related

Illinois judge gives 185 social equity cannabis stores the go-ahead, finally

Now that all New Yorkers have the go ahead to get blazed, the Mayor’s office has a few months to ensure that all social equity debts are paid ahead of the opening of recreational weed shops in the city.

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Reports Show Cannabis Tourism Industry Valued at $17 Billion

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The cannabis tourism industry is reported to be valued at $17 billion and could begin to grow rapidly post-COVID. A report featured in Forbes states that 50% of millennials think that adult-use cannabis access is important when making plans to travel, and that 43% of millennials specifically choose a destination because of legalization.

According to Emerald Farm Tours Co-founder Victor Pinho, cannabis tourism has a lot of potential. “They’re tourists and they’re shopping—they are here to spend money in the mecca of weed,” he told Forbes of his business, which is located in Northern California. He also estimated that tour participants sometimes spend $300-$400 when they visit dispensaries, which is much more than the average adult-use consumer.

In 2016, MMGY Travel Intelligence reported that “the net impact on consumers’ decision to travel to states with legalized cannabis use was minimal.” However, an MMGY study conducted in 2020 stated that 18% of American travelers were interested in cannabis experiences while traveling. When the survey data was reduced to include only those who are over age 21, and with an annual income of $50,000, the percentage of who are interested in cannabis experiences while on vacation increases to 62%.

Forbes estimates that $4.5 billion of the $25 billion collected in 2021 cannabis sales revenue was connected to cannabis tourism and related purchases such as hotels, food, local attractions, and more.

With nearly 20 states that have legalized adult-use, the opportunity for cannabis-related tourism rises. States such as Colorado, which was the first state to legalize recreational consumption in 2014, has a strong reputation of adult-use consumption that doesn’t require marketing. The Colorado Tourism Office only offers a little advice on safety and consumption, and doesn’t currently have any specific data in regards to cannabis-related tourism. “Cannabis is not one of the major drivers in terms of tourism to our state, compared to categories like outdoor recreation,” the office told Forbes.

In other states, the new image of cannabis tourists is beginning to form. According to a report from the Cannabis Travel Association International, the consumer breakdown by sex is fairly balanced between those who identify as male or female, 63% of tourists are millennials or younger, 59% have a college degree, and 82% have a job with an $87,000 annual household income.

Brian Applegarth, founder of the Cannabis Travel Association International, believes that the number of aging millennials is contributing to the rise in cannabis tourism interest. “By 2025, 50% of travelers in the U.S. are going to be millennials,” said Applegarth. “And their relationship to cannabis consumption is extremely normalized compared to the stigmatized industry leaders of today.”

Overall, many states are beginning to bolster and advertise their cannabis offerings to replace funds that were lost due to decreased travel during the height of the pandemic. CEO of Visit Modesto, Todd Aaronson, sees cannabis travelers as the same as any other tourist. In 2021, Aaronson partnered with Applegarth to create the MoTown CannaPass which helps visitors explore local cannabis food, entertainment, and dispensaries. “We wanted the opportunity to say, ‘Hey, if cannabis is your thing, and you’re here, we have retail shops that are legal.’ And we have experiences that you can enjoy no differently than if you went to a brewpub or wine bar,” Aaronson said. “They’re all equally regulated. You should have a designated driver for each. Every visitor is welcome. Leave your money here.” He also shared that there was a notable 11% boost in traffic to local dispensaries when the CannaPass went live.

While places like Amsterdam are seeking to discourage cannabis tourism, North America is becoming a premier legal tourism destination. Attractions such as cannabis-related historic tours, various Airbnb or Bed and Breakfast locations, fascinating museums, and countless adult-use dispensaries to explore, there’s a lot of potential to look forward to. Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont even recently advertised his state’s many offerings, which includes a country song that sings about everything from online gambling to cannabis consumption.



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Can You Use Cannabis to Manifest Your Ideal Future? (Neville Goddard Book Review for Stoners)

Can You Use Cannabis to Manifest Your Ideal Future? (Neville Goddard Book Review for Stoners)

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marijuana as ideal future

I recently was smoking a joint while aimlessly drifting about in a sea of videos on Youtube when I saw this video by the MasterKeySociety read a book by the author Neville Goddard. The book entitled, “Feeling is the Secret” can be experienced in a single sitting since it takes about 40-minutes for the total narration of the book.

 

This is perfect for a stoner like me who, after having read and written thousands of words in a single day – don’t always want to read, but always wants to learn more. Thus, the audio format worked and I continued to smoke my joint from the beginning to the end.

 

This blog will attempt to achieve several things;

 

  1. A Low-Key Stoner Review on the Book itself covering the core concepts

  2. How you could potentially utilize cannabis to achieve what is being discussed in the book itself

 

For those of you who don’t know who Neville Goddard is, he was an author. Here’s Wikipedia’s breakdown on his character;

 

Goddard was born in Barbados on February 19, 1905, to Joseph Nathaniel and Wilhelmina Goddard. He immigrated to New York City c. 1922, where he initially worked as a ballet and ballroom dancer.[2][3]

 

In 1931, he began to study under an Ethiopian rabbi, named Abdullah who introduced him to Kabbalah.[2] He was not naturalized until around the time of World War II, when he served in the United States Army – Wikipedia

 

While this description doesn’t do justice on what the man achieved, I cannot tell you how many times his name came up in various different esoteric circles. From practitioners of Magick to practitioners of the Law of Attraction – Goddard impacted them all.

 

Now it’s important to note that Goddard did place a heavy emphasis on the Bible, but unlike your traditional Christian point of view, Goddard rather treated the Bible as if it was a magickal grimoire. In other words, it serves more as a manual for life and the evolution of consciousness, than a literal depiction on reality.

 

To Goddard, the parables and stories in the Bible hint at deeper truths and interactions between the conscious and unconscious mind. Therefore, when we quote things from the Bible in this article…attempt to view it in the same light as the author did.

 

In other words, don’t be a silly little bitch and don’t take things personally.

 

Now, let’s get into the meat of it!

 

A Stoner’s Review on “Feeling is the Secret by Neville Goddard”

The author begins the book by explaining that he doesn’t care whether you believe him or not. He notes that this book will be “short in length” since he removed all the parts of him trying to defend his ideas. Rather, he challenges the reader to “try them and see if they work”, and if they don’t to ignore him and his work.

 

This is a refreshing perspective that many times are lacking within the self-developmental circle. People tend to drink their own “Kool-Aid” and take themselves too seriously and when there is someone within this niche that says, “Hey, listen…this is what I know and whether you want to or not…that’s up to you!” is quite a breath of fresh air.

 

It also allows the author to simply remove all the chains and to just flow with the truths that he uncovered during his research.

 

And as you can imagine – the major conclusion the author came to is; “Feeling is the Secret!”

 

Not thought or action, but feeling…

 

The base premise of Goddard’s message in this book is that the only way to manifest your desire is to tap into the feeling of it and embody the feeling of the “wish-fulfilled” in your present moment. In other words, “How would you feel if you were to achieve your intention, desire, or wish?”

 

The easy answer is – “I’d feel good!” but the problem with this vague answer is, “What does good feel like?”

 

The trick is to tap into the emotional field of the “wish-fulfilled”. For example, if you are trying to manifest a higher paying job or a promotion at work – how would you feel the moment after your boss or the hiring manager says, “Congratulations – it’s yours!”

 

Or how would you feel to hit your target weight after months of dieting, training, retraining, and being disciplined? What would be the emotions that would be swimming in your body? Where are they located? How intense are they? Are there other related emotions that synergizes with the base emotion of the “accomplished state”?

 

According to the author, “You cannot manifest a desire, you can only manifest that what you are!” (paraphrased) meaning, that in order to obtain your desires you need to shift from “wanting” to “having”.

 

For many, this statement creates a glitch in their programming. “How can I have something I don’t have? Isn’t that the purpose of a desire?”

 

The answer – according to Goddard – is “feeling”. It’s shifting into the “feeling of having it” and removing yourself from the “feeling of wanting it”.

 

To do this, you project yourself into the image of your desire. Whatever that might mean to you. You simply have to imagine you obtaining your goal or objective, and then – shift your awareness from “observation” to “being”.

 

In other words, you’ll shoot your awareness into the image generated in your head. You’ll experience the projection from the “first person perspective” and not from the “third person perspective” (the way we typically view our memories).

 

When you shift your awareness into the projection, you can then utilize your mirror neurons to resonate with the projected frequency of the “accomplished state”. In other words, you begin to harmonize with that “emotional configuration” in the present moment.

 

You grow the feeling, you make it touch every cell of your body…and then you lock this feeling into your being.

 

The trick then is to remain in this general zone of accomplishment. Experience the “Peace, Security, Joy” that you would if all your desires came true right now – and the unconscious will make it so.

 

But how does this all work?

 

Fortunately, Goddard also mentions the mechanics of this in the book in where the conscious mind (the masculine energy of the self), imparts the desire unto the unconscious (feminine energy) which then from the void of creation manifests the desired reality.

 

The reason why “feeling” is the secret is because “feeling” is the language of the unconscious mind. To the unconscious mind, there is little importance about what’s going on in the real world. You can both see a factual display of data, and “feel” completely different about it.

 

Someone could say something like, “There’s no danger here, all of these protections have been tested thoroughly, you’re perfectly safe!” except in your gut you feel the opposite to be true. No matter the facts presented, the feeling doesn’t change!

 

This is because that’s the unconscious utilizing a different means of interacting with baseline reality. For the unconscious mind, everything felt is true…even if you don’t physically have it. Thus, if you can shift your internal frequency towards the approximate “feeling” of your desired reality – the unconscious mind assumes this is true.

 

In turn, the unconscious mind utilizes non-linear methods to arrange your personal reality to suit the feeling you have inside. This is why people who feel unlucky often are, and conversely those who truly feel like everything is going their way – typically find resolutions that echo the sentiment.

 

We don’t need to understand how it all works mainly because it’s impossible. We only have about 50-60 bits of conscious processing power per second, meaning that the vast majority of the processes and mechanisms the unconscious utilizes to make something happen is beyond our scope of understanding.

It doesn’t matter either…when you understand that the “secret is the feeling”, you can focus your conscious energy to resonate with the achieved state and trust in the unconscious to make it so.

 

I tried it…it didn’t work!

 

I know some people here who will automatically claim that “The Law of Attraction” is bullshit. This is typically because people make a few mistakes in this process;

 

  1. They believe it’s instant

  2. They lack focus on the feeling (clarity)

 

Firstly, when you are reorganizing the very fabric of reality – it doesn’t happen overnight. While it is possible for an overnight or instant manifestation; people have the consider the “distance” between the desired state and their current state.

 

If you’re attempting to manifest a million dollars and have no business opportunities, are desperately in debt, and have no rich relatives to conveniently die and leave you their inheritance…then the unconscious will have to map out a path of least resistance towards the desired goal.

 

This could take some time because it will require that “YOU” behave differently in order to create and sustain this new reality. Maybe you need to become better at budgeting? Suddenly, you have all these budgeting problems appearing in your field of consciousness.

 

These hiccups challenges you to either face the problems and overcome them, or fold under and retreat your typical behavior. The problem with most people is that when these moments occur in their lives they allow it to affect their “emotional state”.

 

Since the unconscious manifest that what we feel, then when our emotional state flutters and resonates with whatever’s happening in our space – we redirect our energy and begin to manifest more of what we are experiencing.

 

The second issue comes when the person lacks clarity. The trick is to tune into the feeling of the desire accomplished. A place where you are convinced that you have “achieved” your desire. This means doing some real soul searching and identifying the strongest emotional state of the desire fulfilled.

 

Clarity is key!

 

Okay, follow the “feels” – but how does weed help me out?

 

Cannabis can help us in several ways, however, it’s important to designate cannabis as a tool in this process and not as a crutch. In other words, you should attempt to achieve these states without the influence of cannabis – HOWEVER – considering that cannabis can help disrupt mental loops such as trauma, then it stands to reason that it could potentially do the same for a “shitty situation”!

 

Most people – when they desire “something”, it’s usually because they don’t currently have it. If you’ve been experiencing “not having it” for a long time, it becomes a base reality. You feel like shit, and deposit this shitty feeling into your unconscious, which then in turn manifest more situations that reinforce this “shitty-ness”

 

This is in essence the very same way that PTSD works.  You get stuck in a loop that feeds into itself sustaining the reality that you don’t want. While logically you might understand that you need to “increase your emotional frequency”, emotionally – you are incapable of seeing beyond your current veil of misery.

 

It’s in these moments of sheer hopelessness that a bit of cannabis can provide you with a flood of euphoria, shining light on the darkness and providing you some fresh perspective to latch onto. Sometimes, all we need is a bit of clarity and hope to get us out of a terrible situation.

 

Cannabis can provide some space between you and the situation, giving you some “wiggle room” to readjust your emotional resonance with the situation. It might not even be something big, but that doesn’t matter.

 

The Feeling is the Secret” meaning that if you can shift your mood, you can shift your reality. Fortunately, we know that cannabis is very effective in shifting mood. Doing so with intention, can provide some significant results.

 

Another way that cannabis can help you is in the visualization aspect. If you need to dream up your desired state, witness yourself in your mind’s eye as “getting what you want” – cannabis can help facilitate in this process.

 

The trick is to not get “too” stoned, but just enough where it removes the “internal critic” from the process and where you can simply “imagine without fear”. Once you have conjured up your dream-fulfilled, you can then utilize this “plastic” state to shift your perspective into the image…and utilize your mirror neurons to embody the emotional state of your projected future-desire-fulfilled.

 

Don’t take my word for it…try it!

 

I agree with Goddard that while this could be debated until the end of days, it’s best to try these things out for yourself. Even if you are dubious on the whole “law of attraction” shtick, you can utilize this same mechanism to get fired up and train your unconscious mind to pay attention to certain outcomes you want in your life.

 

However, giving this an earnest try is the key to where it’s at. Maybe start small, and scale up your efforts. If it doesn’t work – you got high and visualized a good future for yourself. If it does work, you just discovered a way to manifest anything your heart desires.

 

All because one stoner decided to listen to a book one night while smoking a fat joint. Also, as I mentioned, you don’t have to rely only on cannabis – breathwork, meditation, visualization, etc…they all help you get into the zone.

 

MORE MANIFESTING OF CANNABIS, READ THESE…

THE SECRET FOR GETTING WEED

CAN YOU USE “THE SECRET” TO GET WEED? READ THIS!

OR..

LAWS OF ATTRACTION FOR CANNABIS

LAWS OF ATTRACTION FOR CANNABIS, DOES IT WORK?

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We smoked Lil’ Kim’s new Hardcore strain to see if it’s really an Aphrodisiak

We smoked Lil’ Kim’s new Hardcore strain to see if it’s really an Aphrodisiak

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If you like smoking before sexy time, the debut drop from Kim’s new Aphrodisiak brand lives up to its name–here’s where to grab it.


On Valentine’s Day, Lil’ Kim teased her new cannabis brand: Aphrodisiak for the world. Kim promised strains and products that live up to her arousing lyrics like:

“Roll some weed… and close your eyes, then imagine your tongue in between my thighs.”

Lil’ Kim, “How Many Licks” (2000)

Those and other raw rhymes about Mary Jane helped Kim open 1990s minds to the plant, back when pop culture was still sending mixed messages about women who love cannabis. Her brave example broke clueless stereotypes that said pretty girls don’t smoke pot.

And now she’s adding a new dimension to the weed game: Cultivars aimed at couples who want to boost their libidos.

Starting Saturday (June 4), Pineapple Express’ Hollywood dispensary is the first and only place to get your hands on Kim’s bodacious new buds. The brand new dispensary is owned by Kim’s fellow music-slash-marijuana vet 2 Chainz, and dispensaries in Michigan, New Jersey, and Kim’s native New York are expecting to stock shelves soon.

Getting my hands on Kim’s ‘Hardcore’ buds

I secured two early eighth bags of the new strain, called “Hardcore,” from Kim’s partner Carlos Dew, who helps market Aphrodisiak through his company superbad inc. He told me that eighths (3.5 grams) of Hardcore will sell for $65 at retailers.

Carlos said I was the first person outside of their camp to touch, smell, and smoke their product. Kim said quality control is the company’s top priority, as she spent over two years overseeing product development personally, before handpicking Hardcore as Aphrodisiak’s debut cultivar.

Even before I opened up the first pack of Hardcore, the chic matte-black packaging suggested an upper-echelon product that makes you want to save it as a keepsake. The Aphrodisiak logo is reminiscent of NYC legend Branson’s triangle-shaped weed baggies, but made modern by a QR code. Shoutout to Kim’s team for attention to legacy detail.

I got my hands on Kim's Hardcore buds before it debuts on Saturday. (Dan Reagans / Leafly)
I got my hands on Kim’s Hardcore strain before it debuts on Saturday at Pineapple Express dispensary in Hollywood, CA. (Dan Reagans for Leafly)

The packaging said buds tested at 30% THC, .07% CBD, and 35% total cannabinoids and as soon as I cracked the bag, I was blown away by the thick white trichome crystals coating every bud. It looked like the weed was dipped in sugar. But the dark purple hue in the buds still fought through to the surface.

The leaves were soft to the touch, but sturdy enough to break down by hand without making a mess. I thought to myself, ‘This is too pretty to put in a grinder, you need to get your hands dirty to fully appreciate these crystals.’ And that’s exactly what I did.

From first look, smell, and touch, you don’t have to smoke Hardcore to know it’s the good stuff. This is the stash you pull out when you’re trying to impress somebody.

But what about intimate sessions with that special somebody? Does it deliver the same side effects that looking at Kim’s album poster did back when I was a youngin’?

Lil’ Kim sparked the libido of an entire generation with the 1996 promo poster for her debut album Hardcore. Now, she’s releasing a line of legal cannabis products that are intended to have the same arousing effects on adults in legal states. (via Grailed / original album photography by Michael Lavine)
Lil’ Kim sparked the libido of an entire generation, and now, her line of legal cannabis products are intended to have the same arousing effects on adults in legal states. (via Grailed / original album photography by Michael Lavine)

Did I feel aroused after smoking Aphrodisiak’s debut strain?

At first, I thought Kim was gassing us up. But it turns out she’s not selling snake oil. There’s no guarantee that this gas will go straight to you or your partner’s snake, but much like Sweeties and Cake Crasher, it definitely had me feeling friskier than the average late-night blunt.

The rest of my evening rode out like the quiet storm hour on your local jazz station. The smooth citrus and berry notes lingered on my nose and tastebuds for the rest of the night. Sadly, my partner was knocked out for the night (we have kids). But Hardcore also comes with an uplifting mental rush that will easily distract you from unsatisfied desires.

I kicked back for the rest of my time with Kim’s Hardcore, enjoying the NBA finals and some late night snacks before calling it a night. The arousing effects are best compared to a glass of wine. Hardcore won’t have you out in the streets in search of anything with a heartbeat. But it does set a perfectly relaxing mood for you and a lover to intensify your connection.

The final verdict: Kim and the Aphrodisiak team delivered a super-soft flower for hardcore connoisseurs. Fuzzy and plump to the touch, this beauty breaks down easy and neat, so you and your partner can focus on making a different kind of mess.

Salute to an early pioneer of designer dank

Lil Kim’s new ‘Hardcore’ strain is the first offering from her new brand Aphrodisiak. (Courtesy of Aphrodisiak)

As a New Yorker, Hip Hop head, and pothead, it was an honor to be the first to taste the Queen Bee’s highly anticipated new product.

Kim once bragged, “my girls rock Chanel and smoke mad marijuana,” along with many other raw rhymes that opened audiences up to the finer side of the plant.

Her debut album, also titled Hardcore, is certified double platinum (over 2 million units sold) and she has moved over 6 million albums total worldwide. And her Hardcore cannabis could be primed to move similar units someday.

Trees I like ’em fine, straight up marijuan’,” rapped Kim from the backseat of a luxury car, wrapped in designer fur and leather in the 1996 music video for “Time To Shine,” combining cannabis, lust, and luxury appeal in ways few other brands or influencers ever could.

“She’s going raw,” her partner Carlos told me in February as they began building the buzz for tomorrow’s big debut. “She’s gonna make it nasty!”

Four months later, I have to give Carlos his credit for being right. Kim’s debut strain Hardcore is the real deal; A show-stopping, one-breast-hanging-out-of-your-VMA-dress kind of flower worthy of Kim’s rich legacy.

If you’re near Hollywood’s Pineapple Express dispensary this weekend, make sure to grab some and share your thoughts with Leafly.

Dan Reagans's Bio Image

Dan Reagans

Dan Reagans is a veteran journalist now living in Los Angeles. The Harlem native has covered culture and media for over a decade.

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North Carolina Lawmakers Advance Medical Cannabis Bill

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North Carolina took another step toward finally legalizing medical cannabis on Thursday, with members of the state Senate overwhelmingly passing a bill that would authorize the treatment for a host of ailments and conditions.

The measure passed the chamber on a vote of 35-10, according to the News & Observer newspaper.

It now heads to the state House of Representatives. Republicans hold majorities in both chambers of the General Assembly. The state’s governor, Roy Cooper, is a Democrat.

The bill, officially known as the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, would authorize medical cannabis for individuals with the following qualifying conditions: Cancer; Epilepsy; Positive status for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV); Acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS); Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); Crohn’s disease; Sickle cell anemia; Parkinson’s disease; Post-traumatic stress disorder, subject to evidence that an applicant experienced one or more traumatic events; Multiple sclerosis; Cachexia or wasting syndrome; Severe or persistent nausea in a person who is not pregnant that is related to end-of-life or hospice care, or who is bedridden or homebound because of a condition; a terminal illness when the patient’s remaining life expectancy is less than six months; or a condition resulting in the individual receiving hospice care.

Per the News & Observer, “Democrats have asked for even broader legalization, putting forward a number of suggestions ranging from adding additional ailments to the list of covered medical conditions, to passing more sweeping laws, like decriminalization or even full recreational legalization of cannabis,” but “Republicans shot those proposals down.”

Eight of the 10 votes against the bill were Republicans, according to the News & Observer, among them state Sen. Jim Burgin, who “invoked some of the previous fights against tobacco—which remains one of North Carolina’s biggest crops, including in Burgin’s district—and implied that the bill was hypocritical because of that.”

“We’ve spent billions of dollars and passed numerous laws to stop people from smoking,” Burgin said, as quoted by the News & Observer. “We’re now voting on a new version of Big Tobacco.”

The bill’s sponsor is GOP state Sen. Bill Rabon, who has sought to assuage concerns of his fellow Republicans by arguing that the bill will create the most restrictive medical cannabis law in the United States.

“We think we’ve done the right thing. We think that every provision from start to finish has been well thought out, well laid out, and put before you,” Rabon said prior to the vote on Thursday, as quoted by local television station WITN.

As quoted by the News & Observer, Rabon said that lawmakers in North Carolina “have looked at other states, the good and the bad.”

“And we have, if not perfected, we have done a better job than anyone so far,” he said, according to the newspaper.

More than a dozen states have legalized recreational pot use for adults, and a majority have legalized medical cannabis.

But in North Carolina, neither are legal, despite there being broad support for both.

A poll in April found that 72% of voters in the Tar Heel State believe that medical cannabis should be legal. The same poll found that 57% of voters in North Carolina believe that recreational cannabis should be legal, as well.

A spokesperson for Cooper, the Democratic governor, said last year that he would be inclined to support a medical cannabis bill that was under consideration by North Carolina lawmakers at the time.

“Studies have shown medical marijuana can offer many benefits to some who suffer from chronic conditions, particularly veterans, and the Governor is encouraged that North Carolina might join the 36 other states that have authorized it for use. The Governor will review this bill as it moves through the legislative process,” the spokesperson said.

The bill that passed the state Senate on Thursday could face some tough sledding in the state House, where “House Speaker Tim Moore has expressed that he won’t take it up for a vote,” according to WITN.

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