Early Disease Detection Substance Abuse

North Carolina Looks Into Marijuana Legalization

North Carolina might follow the steps of the 13 other states that have already legalized the use of medical marijuana. A lawmaker has proposed its legalization, and as in other states also in the process of discussing the possibility of legalization, the proposal has been received with mixed reactions.

The North Carolina Medical Marijuana Act was introduced by State Rep. Guilford Jones, who said that the bill will benefit the seriously ill. In the other states where the use of medical marijuana has been legalized, it is primarily applied as pain management therapy for those who are in advanced stages of pain-ridden diseases such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. In the proposed North Carolina bill, patients with chronic ailments will be allowed to do the same.

cannabis plantThe bill spells out several guidelines, some of which are currently being followed by the 13 states where medical marijuana has been legalized. Marijuana is to be distributed and sourced from licensed dispensaries, and will only be administered to those who have been given written certification stating the need for medical marijuana therapy. Patients who qualify will be provided with a registry identification card, which they will have to keep with them at all times.

Those who are opposed to marijuana legalization, however, are quick to counter that there are enough pain relief medication out in the market, so they do not see the need for the use of a substance that has been stereotypically considered as a gateway to the abuse of other illegal substances, such as heroin or cocaine. A pain relief drug, Marinol, is a synthetic drug that reportedly has the same effect as marijuana – but none of the surrounding controversy. Because of this trait, the drug has been referred to as the pot pill.

Marinol, however, carries a rather hefty price tag – $900 for a month’s supply; so cost-wise, marijuana in its natural form will turn out to be more affordable for those who need it for medical purposes.

Tags: guilford jones marijuana, legalization of Marijuana, marijuana, marijuana clinic, marijuana north carolina, medical marijuana act, north carolina


  1. Experienced user

    Marijuana is not bad at all. With the right precautions it could be a helpful thing. It’s said to stimulate the economy and we could up the production of products with hemp which can be used for thousands of things. Patients with insomnia could benefit from this enormously as well. I have anxiety and migraines from the later stage of my epilepsy which should be eligible conditions for MEDICAL marijuana use for the people who do not want to use synthetic drugs that we know nothing about.

  2. Tony

    There are a lot of good and educated post on here. I am not a college grad nor done any research on Marijuana. I am 51 yrs. old and I believe this particular plant should not be regulated. In fact I have a problem with any Government telling me what I can and cannot put in my body. I have suffered from chronic pain since I was 42 yrs. old. If I had the connections and the money I would be smoking it on a regular basis. I smoked it way back in my younger days for recreational use until I was about 29. I had to stop at that point because I was a truck driver and we were regularly tested for drugs. Not one time before they started drug testing us did marijuana ever affect my ability to do my job nor was it ever a safety issue for me. I smoked at night and the next day no hangover or any effects from smoking the night before. I have smoked it since I had to quit working and I can tell you from 1st hand experience it does help with my pain issues. I have seen people come into work still hungover and still somewhat drunk from drinking the night before. That is a safety issue. I do know alcohol kills but no one to date has been able to convince me Marijuana has killed anyone except the drug dealers killing each other, or someone else for not paying them, or for turf wars. The gentleman Greg that posted has done his homework on the subject for sure.When are we going to realize the Constitution, which according to some was written on hemp, was written to keep the government off of our backs? They work for us but they are constantly writing laws to dictate to us what we can and cannot do. This is ridiculous. I support this bill 100% and yes I live in N.C. We are adults, why are we allowing others to dictate to us what we can and cannot do? As long as what someone is doing doesn’t hurt others then it is their business what they do and not the business of anyone else. Just my opinion on the subject.

  3. Ann

    I am in the boat as many others. I have serve allergies to pain meds. I suffer from aches and pains from back surgeries and a hip surgey. I have a Rare Kidney Disease that symptoms can be quite painful on days. I have a 10 yr old daughter that has the disease and I know of kids that are on strong pain meds to make it threw the day and nite. I do pray that NC get on board cause I would like to know in the future if given choice for my daughter when older the option was there. Things are seen in a different light when its you or a love one in pain and you will do any thing to ease the pain. I guess it be like smokers give up the nicatin because smoking causes cancer and second hand smoke is the worse…or drinker give up the acholol cause of they have been to many deaths, sucides and wrecks or texter and chatters giv up the phone cause of wrecks..I say we are all adults those choices are responible decession and freely able to make and mj is a herbal grown in mother earth and that it just relaxes a person and relieves of pain.

  4. will

    everyone opposed to it says its a gateway drug to other drugs..its bad…alcohol is bad.. beer liquor…i would rather be around a group of people who are smoking marijuana than be around a group of people drinking…i have dozens of people drinking acting like idiots, fighting cant hardly walk sloppy …wrecking cars causing accidents killing people kids etc.. Not once has all these self righteous assholes said anything about outlawing it…what about cigarrettes hmmm..need i comment on it.its nice that marijuana can be used for medical purposes but thats not the only reason it should be legal..get real its a bunch of self righteous people scared to admit that theres nothing wrong with it…i smoke and i can funtion fine i dont say to myself hey since i smoke marijuana im gonna smoke some crack…what crap just like when it was banned back in the day because of unproven lies…stand up admit the truth marijuana is a herb that god put on this earth and if ur old enough to buy alcohol u should be able to dam sure by something that doesnt impair you as much as alcohol does..think about how much money it can save the federal and state goverments who waste tax payers money fighting something that really shouldnt be considered a problem anyway..the only ones benefitting from it being illegal are the drug lords who can sell it in the United States for billions every year..make it legal u cripple the cartel and boost the economy by creating jobs and not wasting tax payers money…one day someone will have the balls to stand up and admit it.just think about it be4 u trash it

  5. Gene Lewis

    Ok for the idiots who make the laws and whine about gateway drugs thats just BS. If you want to bring up gateway drugs what the hell do you thinik alcohol and nicotene are? Marijuana laws are BS, its a plant and for 75 years this governmant has been lying to the people about it. I love this country its the government that scares the hell out of me! Everyone who has been prosecuted under this law in the past 75 years has been robbed. In short this government is a liar and a thief!

  6. Ray Davis

    I take marinol. I was diagnosed multiple sclerosis in 08, very agressive. I'm xanex and pain pill free. iv spent my time n hell due to prescriptions.why when my baby sees papers I apologize. when I could have 5 serious bottles of pills right n front of her 24/7. my step dad asked if the dr. that wanted to give me pills again was going to let me stay at their house. pots bad for some where the pills work, but pills are bad for people where medicinal is greatly needed. I'm a homebound patient now. fighting in custody court for my baby, wwithout marinol I'm labeled a drug addict, NOT cool.

  7. Ray Davis

    we need to have a war on bad drugs! compressed illegal marijuana, look at the thc levels. good clean herb or filthy nasty un taxable crap. let me tell you how its a gateway drug. since we don't have a clean drug dealing area, " son I got that boy boy, tha ice, that soft, that hard" so if your a doper and they don't have weed.. a statistic to a gateway drug.

  8. Jay Cee Houck

    pills are so bad, a doctor can give you any pill you want and all you got to do is go complain about somthin that's wrong with you, pills don't show up on drug test. I work with this guy he passes out 3 times a week on pills at my work and he stillkeeps his job, but if on saturday night if I want to smoke a doobie I cant cause if I get drug tested I get fired, its bullshit these trasshy people can stay fucked up on pills that slowly kill you, but I cant smoke some grass, cause the fucking goverment says so, fuck the goverment , they cant our economy up, but they thinks its ok to tell me what to do, instead of pulling me over lookin for pot in my car the cops could be geting all the meth labs they busted in this town this year.

  9. Misty Randy-Reed

    Legalization of marijuana would help free up room in the prison system for more violent offenders. I'm sure that the ones being institutionalized would much rather work on government farms growing marijuana and being productive members of society that just becoming a product of the system.

  10. Anonymous

    Unlike other street drugs suck as Cocaine and heroine, marijuana is not the gateway to other drugs. It is not habit forming and has many medicinal purposes. Who has ever heard of a marijuana junkie? Like with alcohol, if used in moderation there is no problem. Cigarettes are more harmful then marijuana. Just think of the money that our government can make if it were to controlled and legalized. It's not rocket science people. Studies show that even over the counter and pharmaceuticals can be more addictive and have more side affects. Look at all over the counter drugs that have to be dispensed by a pharmacist because of all the meth labs that are out there. Oh lets not forget about the pharm parties.

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