NORTH CAROLINA DODGES A BULLET FROM POT INDUSTRY

Lawmakers See Through Medical Marijuana Ruse That is a Backdoor to Full Commercial THC Industry

(RALEIGH, NC) – Smart Approaches to Marijuana: North Carolina (SAM Action NC) released the following statement today praising North Carolina lawmakers as “medical marijuana” fails to advance in the current session of the state legislature. SAM Action NC and it’s coalition partners including the North Carolina Faith & Freedom Coalition and the North Carolina State Troopers Association had cautioned against legalizing THC under the guise of medicine given the health and public safety data surrounding the drug. SAM Action NC’s coalition also emphasized to legislators that the marijuana industry has used medical marijuana as a stepping stone toward a full commercial marketplace in every state that legalized so-called medical marijuana.

“Marijuana isn’t medicine. It’s not approved to treat any illness. So-called medical marijuana is the industry’s way of getting a foothold in a state that they can then use to create an open THC drug market. Those North Carolina legislators who had the courage to listen to doctors, parents, addiction specialists and law enforcement saw through this ruse should be commended. As we’ve seen in states across the country who are beginning to recognize the lies of the pot industry, it’s not easy to do the right thing for public health in the face of this powerful lobby,” said Luke Niforatos, Executive Vice President of Smart Approaches to Marijuana. 

“SAM Action NC’s coalition including the North Carolina Troopers Association, the NC Faith & Freedom Coalition and so many others worked tirelessly to educate members of the legislature about the dangers of THC and the data showing significant abuse of so-called medical dispensaries. Those legislators, particularly those in the House Republican Caucus, who listened to the data and the personal stories of abuse, addiction and tragedy at the hands of THC drug products deserve the gratitude of every resident. While the fight against the pot industry isn’t over in North Carolina, communities across the state have dodged a bullet from the pot lobby for now thanks to political courage and not a small measure of common sense. At a time when drug use and addiction is a national crisis, the last thing North Carolina needs is more drugs in our communities and a full-blown commercial pot industry waiting in the wings.”