North Carolina’s first cannabis dispensary opened last week. The April 20 opening of the Great Smoky Cannabis Co. was attended by hundreds. Here’s your guide to medical marijuana in N.C.
“This project will change the trajectory of their lives forever. It will be a conduit to generations of social, economic, and spiritual growth, unlike anything that’s ever been witnessed,” Forrest Parker, general manager for Qualla Enterprises, said at the opening ceremony, Will Hofmann of the Citizen Times reported.
While the first N.C. dispensary is now officially open for business, the process of purchasing medical marijuana is not without terms and conditions. Here’s what to know about buying medical marijuana in N.C.
More:Historic medical marijuana dispensary opens in Cherokee, NC, 1st in the state
Is marijuana legal in North Carolina?
Marijuana is not legal for medical or recreational use in N.C. in general. It is legal, however, on the Qualla Boundary, home of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. In 2021, marijuana was legalized for medical use in Cherokee, which is a sovereign nation located on the Qualla Boundary that has its own elections, laws, government and institutions that are self-governed and autonomous. But those laws pertain only to tribal land.
Eligible individuals can submit applications for medical marijuana cards on the EBCI website. While you can purchase medical marijuana legally in Cherokee, it remains illegal to transport cannabis out of Cherokee. EBCI documents remind the public that a medical cannabis patient card does not prevent or act as a defense to prosecution by the Federal or North Carolina state government.
Outside of the Qualla Boundary, some low-THC products have been legalized in N.C. under a 2021 state law. The law allows the sale of products with no more than 0.3% of delta-9, allowing the sale of cannabinoids like THCa and CBD.
More:As NC’s 1st cannabis dispensary opens, Cherokee Co. DA to ‘continue to enforce state law’
Who qualifies for medical marijuana in North Carolina? What conditions qualify?
To qualify for a medical marijuana card in Cherokee, you must show proof of one or more of the following 17 conditions:
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome.
- An anxiety disorder.
- An autism spectrum disorder.
- An autoimmune disorder.
- Anorexia nervosa.
- Cancer.
- Dependence upon or addiction to opioids.
- Glaucoma.
- A medical condition or treatment for a medical condition that produces, for a specific patient, one or more of the following:
- Cachexia.
- Muscle spasms, including, without limitation, spasms caused bymultiple sclerosis.
- Seizures, including, without limitation, seizures caused byepilepsy.
- Nausea.
- Severe or chronic pain.
- A medical condition related to the human immunodeficiency virus.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder.
- Crohn’s disease.
- Sickle cell anemia.
- Amyotrophic lateral syndrome.
- Parkinson’s disease.
- A condition resulting in the patient receiving Hospice care.
- A terminal illness when the patient’s remaining life expectancy isless than six months.
All patients must be 21 years or older to purchase medical cannabis. Fees for medical cannabis patient cards are $100 for N.C. residents and $50 for enrolled EBCI members. Cards must be renewed yearly at a rate of $100 for N.C. residents and $25 for EBCI members.
For more info on how to obtain a medical marijuana card, visit the EBCI’s website.
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Which states have legal marijuana in 2024?
Nearly half of the states in the US have legalized cannabis according to previous reporting by USA Today, though N.C. is not included.
Here’s a list of the states in 2024 that have legalized recreational marijuana, and the year it was made official:
- Ohio: 2023
- Minnesota: 2023
- Delaware: 2023
- Rhode Island: 2022
- Maryland: 2022
- Missouri: 2022
- Connecticut: 2021
- New Mexico: 2021
- New York: 2021
- Virginia: 2021
- Arizona: 2020
- Montana: 2020
- New Jersey: 2020
- Vermont: 2020
- Illinois: 2019
- Michigan: 2018
- California: 2016
- Maine: 2016
- Massachusetts: 2016
- Nevada: 2016
- District of Columbia: 2014
- Alaska: 2014
- Oregon: 2014
- Colorado: 2012
- Washington: 2012
Did a marijuana bill pass in NC?
For the second straight year, the North Carolina Senate passed a medical marijuana bill, but in each of the last two years, the state House did not take up the legislation.
Will Hoffman, Asheville Citizen Times, contributed to this report.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
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