Indopedia All Things Marijuana
A new North Carolina bill would allow citizens to possess certain amounts of marijuana without having to face major legal consequences.
The state’s Senate Bill 791 and companion House Bill 994 would allow adults to possess up to four ounces for personal use, the Winston-Salem Journal reports.
The bill’s primary sponsor, Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth), introduced the bill in an effort “to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana. This is heading in the right direction.”
Currently, North Carolina considers possession of half an ounce or less of a controlled substance to be a Class 3 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 20 days of jail or community service.
The bills would consider possession of up to four ounces as a Class 1 misdemeanor, punishable by up to 120 days of an active sentence.
The proposed laws would go into effect July 1 with approval by the Republican-controlled General Assembly and Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper, but The Journal reports that is unlikely that the bills will move past the House Judiciary committee.
North Carolina is currently one of 20 states that has yet to establish a medical marijuana law or…
