Medical Marijuana Divides GOP: NC House Republican 'Appalled' By Senator's Trick To Ensure Legalization

Republican Senator Bill Rabon, who has experienced the medical benefits of marijuana firsthand, keeps on fighting for the plant to become legal, at least for medical purposes.

What Happened: Rabon included medical cannabis regulatory appointments for the yet-to-be-enacted program in a new legislation that passed the Senate last week, writes Marijuana Moment. The move follows up on a recent legislative maneuver: amending a popular House bill so that it can only become law if his medical marijuana bill is also approved.

The news comes about one month after Rabon shocked the state’s General Assembly by revealing publicly he used marijuana more than 20 years ago to ease the pain and discomfort of chemotherapy during his battle with cancer.

“I know that tens of thousands of people in the state would benefit just as I did” if the medical marijuana bill became law, he said at the time. The GOP-majority state Senate passed the bill on March 1, and it is pending in the House.

What Now: While some Democratic senators like Mike Woodard and Paul Lowe welcomed the move, some Republicans were not so pleased. Namely, republican representative Mike Clampitt, who has previously supported the bill said he was “appalled” by the scheme Senate made, and is now against the measure, writes The News & Observer.

“It’s been very divisive in the House, and has been a very contentious topic,” Clampitt told the outlet, speaking of the effort to legalize medical marijuana. “And then for the Senate to minimize all of that, and to make a joke out of it, it’s very embarrassing to me for our General Assembly.” 

What’s Next: Furthermore, Republican House Speaker Tim Moore said that the measure still doesn’t have enough support from Republicans, and without it will not pass.

“Our rule is that a bill, to pass on the floor, must receive at least a majority of the members of the caucus on the House floor, and it’s just short of that right now, and that’s why it’s not being taken up,” Moore said, according to CBS 17.

“Any tactics that are perceived as heavy-handed, trying to force it, tend to have the opposite effect,” Moore added.

According to this year’s poll by Meredith College, some 73% of North Carolina voters favor medical marijuana legalization.

Meanwhile, Progress Is Happening On Tribal Lands

While the North Carolina legislature is still figuring out whether to support the reform or not, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is moving forward with its legal medical cannabis operations in the western part of the Old North State.

The EBCI is now accepting applications for medical marijuana cards from all state residents who have one of the conditions making them eligible to qualify, according to Neil Denman, executive director of the Cannabis Control Board. Their list has more conditions than the under the bill pending in the legislature.

What’s more, the EBCI program doesn’t demand a doctor’s recommendation. Marijuana will only be legal to possess on tribal land.

However, the EBCI hopes for the state to legalize medical marijuana, as the tribe wants to apply for one of the state licenses.

Photo: Benzinga edit with images from Wikimedia Commons and amedeoemaja on Shutterstock