Marijuana

State lawmakers want to prevent people under age 21 from buying vaping and other products containing THC.

A tribal-owned medical marijuana dispensary in western North Carolina is also now selling products for adult recreational use.

Many manufacturers and distributors have been using loopholes to sell products that are far more potent than state and federal law intended.

Members of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians will vote in September on whether they want to legalize marijuana possession and sales on tribal lands for anyone 21 and older.

House Speaker Tim Moore said Tuesday that many fellow Republicans in his chamber oppose the idea, so it likely won't progress. That aligned with recent comments from House Majority Leader John Bell.

State lawmakers are considering legalizing medical marijuana this year. But a bipartisan group of legislators want to look at another type of drug that could be used in medical treatments.

The chamber voted 36-10 on Tuesday to give initial support to an idea that its supporters say would offer relief to those with debilitating or life-ending illnesses. A final Senate vote is needed Wednesday before it goes to the House.

The North Carolina Senate plans to vote this week on a bill legalizing medical marijuana. It could have a better shot at becoming law this year than in previous sessions.

North Carolina’s two top Democratic state officials are urging the Republican-led legislature to decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana in light of President Joe Biden’s pardon Thursday of thousands of Americans convicted of “simple possession” under federal law.

After stalling in the House, advocates hope that state lawmakers will pass a bill that would legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina.