Tag: north carolina

North Carolina Lawmakers File Bill To Legalize Medical Marijuana For Patients With Debilitating Conditions

A new bill in the North Carolina House of Representatives 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 measure, HB 1011, was filed on Tuesday by Rep. Aisha Dew (D) and has been cosponsored by several other Democratic lawmakers.

The 28-page bill, titled the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act, is considerably more detailed than a separate Democrat-led medical marijuana bill introduced this week that would allow access only for patients enrolled in a “registered research study.”

Advocates have 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.

“Glad to finally see a real medical cannabis bill get introduced,” Kevin Caldwell, Southeast legislative manager for the advocacy group Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment in an email Wednesday.

The new bill, HB 1011, appears to be based largely on an earlier medical marijuana proposal from Sen. Bill Rabon (R), SB 3, filed in the 2023–2024 legislative session. That measure passed the Senate but failed to advance in the House due to an informal rule that requires a majority of the chamber’s GOP caucus to support a bill in order to bring it to the floor.

Caldwell at MPP said he would have liked to see the new House medical marijuana bill be sponsored by a Republican, which he reasoned would increase its chances of being heard in the GOP-controlled body. But he added that “legislators have known a medical bill has been in the works, and I hope they take this opportunity to provide relief to the tens of thousands of North Carolinians who are suffering from debilitating conditions.”

The new measure says in its findings section that “medical research has found that cannabis and cannabinoid compounds are effective at alleviating pain, nausea, and other symptoms associated with several debilitating medical conditions.” A majority of states and four of five U.S. territories have already legalized medical marijuana, it continues, and “North Carolina now takes similar action to preserve and enhance the health and welfare of its citizens.”

Under the proposal, the new medical cannabis program would be overseen by the state Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).

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New North Carolina Bill Would Legalize Medical Marijuana For Patients Enrolled In A ‘Registered Research Study’

A newly filed bill in North Carolina would narrowly legalize medical marijuana, allowing access for individuals enrolled in a “registered research study.”

Titled the Cannabis Treatment Research Act, HB 984 would allow patients and caregivers to register with the state, which in turn would permit legal possession of up to 1.5 ounces of marijuana. It’s sponsored by Rep. Julia Greenfield (D) and five other Democratic lawmakers.

The three-page bill would create a Cannabis Treatment Research Database under the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). To qualify for the program, patients would need to be enrolled in a study conducted by a hospital, university, lab, pharmaceutical manufacturer or private medical research company that is registered with DHHS and has entered a study into the state research database.

The legislation specifies no age limit for patients, but registered caregivers would need to be at least 18. As for qualifying conditions, it lists no specific maladies but mandates that patients obtain a signed statement from “a physician with whom the patient has a bona fide physician-patient relationship indicating that, in the physician’s professional opinion, the patient has a medical condition and the potential health benefits of the medical use of cannabis would likely outweigh the health risks for the patient.”

It’s not immediately clear how accessible the research-focused program would be in practice, though it appears that authors intend the program to be relatively open.

The measure states, for example, that it’s the General Assembly’s intent “that any physician who issues a written certification to a patient be permitted to participate in objective scientific research.” It also defines research broadly to include “the development of quality control, purity, and labeling standards for cannabis; sound advice and recommendations on the best practices for the safe and efficient medical use of cannabis; and analysis of genetic and healing properties of the many varied strains of cannabis to determine which strains may be best suited for a particular medical condition or treatment.”

In addition to legalizing possession among registered patients and caregivers, the bill shields from liability both research institutions and their employees. It also specifies that the identities of patients, caregivers and research institutions be shielded from public record, though in some cases it allows records to be provided to law enforcement.

The Democrat-led measure was introduced on Thursday in the House of Representatives. Lawmakers—including Senate President Phil Berger (R)—have said they’re deferring to the House on medical marijuana reform this session, but it’s not clear whether HB 984 is the only bill that will be introduced in that chamber.

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North Carolina Supreme Court Allows 60K Votes Lacking ID To Count In High Court Race

The North Carolina Supreme Court decided to allow about 60,000 ballots to count in a race for a seat on its own bench, despite those voters never having provided proper identification upon registering.

A unanimous court Friday decided that over 60,000 votes challenged by Republican candidate and appellate judge Jefferson Griffin should remain in the count for the vote total. In a 4-2 split, the court also decided that another roughly 5,500 overseas voters who did not provide identification would be allowed 30 days to fix their ballots, while another 267 voters who have never resided in North Carolina would have their votes removed.

“This Court is aware of the valid competing interests in this case the need for an expeditious resolution of an election that occurred more than five months ago and the importance of ensuring that only lawful votes are counted,” the majority wrote.

Griffin’s race against incumbent Democrat Justice Allison Riggs, who is recused, is the last in the country to be decided from the Nov. 5, 2024, general election. On election night, Griffin was winning by about 10,000 votes, but over the following nine days, overseas and provisional ballots started trickling in to give Riggs a 734-vote lead.

Griffin challenged over 65,000 ballots because they were cast either by voters who had not provided a driver’s license or last four digits of a Social Security Number upon registering, in accordance with state law, or had not provided a photo ID upon casting their ballot as required in the state as well.

The discrepancy with incomplete registrations occurred because the North Carolina State Board of Elections (NCSBE), currently run by Democrats, failed their duty to ensure that citizens in the state were properly registered because it did not adequately inform them the identification was required.

“To the extent that the registrations of voters in the first category are incomplete, the Board is primarily, if not totally, responsible,” the decision states. And while the NCSBE learned of the issue in 2023, well before the 2024 election, the court noted it “did nothing, however, to ensure that any past violations were remedied.”

“The board’s inattention and failure to dutifully conform its conduct to the law’s requirements is deeply troubling,” the opinion continued. “Nevertheless, our precedent on this issue is clear. Because the responsibility for the technical defects in the voters’ registration rests with the Board and not the voters, the wholesale voiding of ballots cast by individuals who subsequently proved their identity to the Board by complying with the voter identification law would undermine the principle that ‘this is a government of the people, in which the will of the people — the majority — legally expressed, must govern.’”

The court distinguished between providing an approved form of identification upon registering, which is required by state and federal law, and another law requiring voter ID upon casting a ballot, which it says the challenged voters have done. North Carolina’s voter ID laws are notoriously weak.

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North Carolina Lawmakers Are Considering At Least Nine Bills To Regulate Intoxicating Hemp-Derived Products

North Carolina lawmakers have proposed at least nine bills this year that seek more regulation on the sale and purchase of gummies, drinks and vaping products containing compounds from hemp.

Most of the bills seek to make it illegal for youth to buy snacks, drinks and vape products containing hemp-derived cannabinoids or to keep them off school property. Legislators and sheriffs talked about one of the bills, House Bill 680, The Protect Children from Cannabis Act, at a Wednesday news conference.

The bill would make it illegal for shops to sell consumables containing hemp compounds without a permit, and would make it illegal for people under 21 to buy them. The Alcohol Beverage Control Commission and Alcohol Law Enforcement (ALE) would have investigative and enforcement powers.

“Currently, there’s no age restriction on purchasing these intoxicating cannabinoids, and children do use these and buy these every day,” said Rep. Timothy Reeder (R-Pitt), one of the bill’s primary sponsors.

Onslow County Sheriff Chris Thomas said vape shops have opened near schools in his county to take advantage of the young customer base.

It appears sellers are focusing on young customers, he said, “because the young clientele is a customer for a long time.”

An effort to regulate snacks containing hemp cannabinoids and banning the products from schools faltered last year when the state Senate attached medical marijuana legalization to a House bill. The House and Senate have been at an impasse over medical marijuana for several years.

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North Carolina Supreme Court Halts Previous Order Requiring Verification of 65,000 Ballots in Hotly Contested Judicial Race

The North Carolina Supreme Court halted a previous order from the state appeals court requiring the verification of 65,000 questionable ballots.

This case has been bouncing around between state and federal courts.

Last week the North Carolina Court of Appeals ruled that approximately 65,000 ballots — cast by voters with incomplete registration information, missing photo identification, or submitted by individuals who have never lived in North Carolina — may be invalid under state and federal election law.

The 2-1 decision was authored by Judges John Tyson and Fred Gore, both registered Republicans. Judge Tobias Hampson, a Democrat, dissented.

The court ordered election officials across the state’s 100 counties to notify affected voters, giving them 15 business days to prove they are legally eligible to vote, or their ballots could be tossed out, handing conservatives a chance to reclaim a critical seat on the state’s highest court.

In January, the North Carolina Supreme Court in a 5-1 vote blocked the state from certifying Democrat incumbent justice Allison Riggs as the winner of the race as her GOP opponent, Jefferson Griffin, challenges the election.

As previously reported, North Carolina’s Supreme Court race headed for a recount due to a close final tally as the Democrat pulled ahead two weeks after Election Day.

Democrat incumbent Sarah Riggs closed the race with 2,770,818 votes to GOP challenger Jefferson Griffin’s 2,770,193 votes.

The race went to a recount since the vote difference is fewer than 10,000 votes.

Republican Griffin was leading the race until all of a sudden Democrat Riggs overcame her opponent weeks after the election.

President Trump won North Carolina by more than 3 percent over Kamala Harris in the 2024 election but somehow the Democrats took many down ballot races.

The Democrat incumbent is now ahead by 600 votes after late votes came in for the North Carolina Supreme Court seat.

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North Carolina family can sue over COVID-19 vaccine administered without consent, court rules

A North Carolina mother and her son can sue a public school system and a doctors’ group for allegedly giving the boy a COVID-19 vaccine without consent, the state Supreme Court ruled.

The ruling handed down Friday reverses a lower-court decision that a federal health emergency law prevented Emily Happel and her son Tanner Smith from filing a lawsuit.

Both a trial judge and the state Court of Appeals had ruled against the two, who sought litigation after Smith received an unwanted vaccine during the height of the coronavirus pandemic.

Smith was vaccinated in August 2021 at age 14 despite his opposition at a testing and vaccination clinic at a Guilford County high school, according to the family’s lawsuit.

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BEAUTIFUL! Hundreds of College Students Are Spending Spring Break Helping Rebuild Homes in North Carolina

There may be hope for America’s future, after all.

While college students have become known for being woke and are often shown in the media doing nothing but leading protests, one group of students has given up spring break to help rebuild homes in North Carolina where many areas are still reeling from Hurricane Helene.

This is great experience for these students, too. Everyone should learn how to build things and some basic construction.

From WHII News:

Triad college students are spending spring break in western North Carolina helping those in need

Winston Salem State students are among the wave of volunteers helping communities in western North Carolina, spending their spring break hard at work to help people rebuild.

“I can’t imagine what these people went through with having everything they had just lost in the blink of an eye without any control of theirs,” said Cayla Parrott, a sophomore.

They’re part of a ministry called Chi Alpha that can be found on multiple college campuses. They’re working alongside nonprofits like Building Compassion, which has been organizing those efforts.

“We’ve got other teams that are down closer to the river bottoms, and they’re literally doing all kinds of different work,” said Frank Frankovsky of Building Compassion. “From standing up retaining walls that got undermined to rebuilding trailer homes and stuff, just whatever the community needs.

It’s been almost six months since Helene made landfall, and there’s plenty of work that still needs to be done.

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HUD Secretary Scott Turner Rejects Asheville’s $225M Disaster Relief Request After Shocking DEI Clause Exposed

Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Scott Turner has decisively rejected Asheville, North Carolina’s outrageous $225 million disaster relief request.

The reason? A jaw-dropping Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) clause buried deep in the city’s draft action plan—a clause that prioritizes woke ideology over the urgent needs of everyday Americans still reeling from Hurricane Helene’s devastation six months ago.

In an interview with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo, Secretary Turner condemned the city’s initial draft action plan for prioritizing assistance based on race and gender identity rather than need.

“This draft action plan that the city of Asheville presented at first has elements of DEI, and that is not acceptable to HUD,” Turner told Bartiromo.

“It’s not acceptable to the President, according to his executive order to get rid of all DEI. We’re working with the city of Asheville. They have been very responsive to make sure that their upcoming draft action plan is in compliance with HUD and how we give funds out according to HUD’s principles.”

“We’re happy to be here. They’re working with us, and we’re looking forward to helping the people of Asheville recover from this disaster.”

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‘Thank You Jesus’ signs creator arrested on felony child porn charge

Authorities in Randolph County arrested Lucas Timothy Hunt, 25, of Asheboro, known as the founder of the “Thank You Jesus” signs movement, on a felony child exploitation charge after a month-long investigation.

The Invictus Task Force took Hunt into custody on Tuesday and charged him with felony Second-Degree Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. A representative with the organization confirmed to WFMY News 2 that Hunt started the initiative, which has placed thousands of signs across the country promoting the message.

The investigation started in January when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children provided a CyberTip to law enforcement, leading authorities to track down the suspect. Court documents state that Hunt received a video depicting two pubescent females engaged in sexual acts. 

After his arrest, officers transported Hunt to the Randolph County Detention Center, where a magistrate set his bond at $75,000. He will appear in Randolph County District Court on Wednesday.

Court records show that Hunt waived his right to an assigned legal counsel and hired his own attorney, Charles Browne. Hunt posted bond and was released. 

President of the Thank You Jesus mission, Connie Frazier, released a statement on the matter, saying, “We will not be commenting on the charges, but we can say that Lucas Hunt, through the Thank You Jesus signs, has helped thousands of people and has been a blessing.”

The parents of Lucas Hunt told WFMY News 2 he did not do what he is accused of but were unable to speak further on the situation. 

The investigation continues. Authorities have not determined whether they will file additional charges. The Invictus Task Force urges anyone with relevant information to report potential exploitation cases to law enforcement.

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Supreme Ct. Filing Exposes How Charlottesville Officials Enabled 2017 Violence to Suppress Speech

A new Supreme Court petition filed by political activist Warren Balogh sheds light on what he calls the ‘intentional dereliction of duty’ by Charlottesville officials during the infamous 2017 “Unite the Right” rally. The petition, appealing a lower court decision from the Fourth Circuit, raises serious constitutional questions about whether local governments can deliberately allow chaos and violence as a means of suppressing speech they dislike.

Balogh is a self-described ‘pro-white’ activist. Far-left groups use a variety of labels to describe him as a ‘white nationalist’ and other such defamatory terms. Balogh says he was at the Charlottesville rally for only one purpose: to oppose the destruction of a historical monument. The Lee monument was destroyed in 2023, despite promises by officials it would be relocated.

Balogh is appealing the Fourth Circuit’s dismissal of his claims, as part of Balogh v. Virginia, 120 F.4th 127. That appeal was decided by Chief Judge Albert Diaz, an Obama appointee. That court said that because the participants engaged in violence, they were not entitled to protection from the police, a ruling at odds with the evidence in the case.

You can read the request for Supreme Court review here.

Charlottesville’s supposed right-wing violence is the reason Joe Biden gave for running against Donald Trump in the 2020 election.

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