North Carolina’s full House of Representatives has given initial approval to House Bill 78, a proposal to legalize the possession, private cultivation and distribution of medical cannabis.

House Bill 78 would legalize the possession of up to 24 ounces of cannabis for those who receive a recommendation from a physician. Patients would also be authorized to cultivate cannabis, with grow spaces limited to 250 feet of total canopy space, which would be “measured by the combined vegetative growth area, excluding any garden space devoted to cannabis plants that are not mature and female but which are cultivated for the purpose of maintaining the largest and most productive canopy of mature female cannabis plants”.

House Bill 78 would also authorize state-licensed dispensaries as a means of providing patients safe access to their medicine. These outlets will be supplied by licensed production centers.

According to polling released last month by Public Policy Polling, 69% of voters in North Carolina support legalizing cannabis for medical purposes.

Now that House Bill 78 has been approved through its first reading, it’s been assigned to the House Committee on Judiciary.

– TheJointBlog