A medical cannabis legalization bill cleared the North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee for the second time Aug. 24, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Senate Bill 711, called the NC Compassionate Care Act, originally passed the Judiciary Committee June 30, then cleared the Senate Finance Committee July 21.
The legislation was then sent to the Senate Health Care Committee before being pulled and sent back to the Judiciary Committee for a second review, where lawmakers addressed an amendment consisting of “mostly technical changes,” according to the Winston-Salem Journal.
Some of the changes were requested by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, the news outlet reported, while others were based on medical cannabis regulations established by the Utah Legislature.
Changes adopted by the Judiciary Committee include adding a new category for patients with terminal illnesses who have been diagnosed with less than six months to live, the Winston-Salem Journal reported, as well as a ban on smoking or vaping cannabis within 1,000 feet of a workplace, K-12 school, childcare facility, or house of worship.
The amended legislation now goes to the Senate Health Care Committee for consideration.
