Stein creates cannabis advisory council to regulate state's THC market
Gov. Josh Stein announced on Tuesday the creation of a State Advisory Council on Cannabis, calling for urgent action to regulate North Carolina's unregulated THC market, which he said poses serious risks to young people.
ALSO READ: Texas considers banning products infused with THC derived from hemp, and retailers are worried
Stein said there's currently no legal age restriction for purchasing THC products in the state and warned that kids can easily buy them at vape shops.
The new council will study best practices from other states and recommend a comprehensive plan for safe, legal adult-use cannabis sales, including one that also protects children, supports public health and agriculture, and addresses past low-level convictions.
'Today all across North Carolina, there are unregulated intoxicating THC products available for purchase: just walk into any vape shop,' Stein said in a news release. 'There is no legal minimum age to purchase these products! That means that kids are buying them. Without any enforceable labeling requirements, adults are using them recreationally without knowing what is in them or how much THC there is. Our state's unregulated cannabis market is the wild west and is crying for order. Let's get this right and create a safe, legal market for adults that protects kids.'
At 5 p.m. on Channel 9, we will breakdown this executive order.
VIDEO: Illegal THC products found in North Carolina shops, authorities say
Members of the State Advisory Council on Cannabis are:
Co-chairs
Lawrence H. Greenblatt, MD, State Health Director & Chief Medical Officer, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Matt Scott, District Attorney, Prosecutorial District 20 (Robeson County)
Members
David W. Alexander, Owner and President, Home Run Markets, LLC
Arthur E. Apolinario, MD, MPH, FAAFP, 2002-2023 Past President, North Carolina Medical Society; Family Physician, Clinton Medical Clinic
Joshua C. Batten, Assistant Director for Special Services, Alcohol Law Enforcement Division, North Carolina Department of Public Safety
Representative John R. Bell, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 10
Carrie L. Brown, MD, MPH, DFAPA, Chief Psychiatrist, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Mark M. Ezzell, Director, North Carolina Governor's Highway Safety Program, North Carolina Department of Transportation
Anca E. Grozav, Chief Deputy Director, North Carolina Office of State Budget and Management
Representative Zack A. Hawkins, North Carolina House of Representatives, District 31
Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander, North Carolina State Highway Patrol
Michael Lamb, Police Chief, City of Asheville Police Department
Peter H. Ledford, Deputy Secretary for Policy, North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality
Kimberly McDonald, MD, MPH, Chronic Disease and Injury Section Chief, Division of Public Health, North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
Patrick Oglesby, Attorney and Founder, Center for New Revenue
Forrest G. Parker, CEO / General Manager, Qualla Enterprises LLC / Great Smoky Cannabis Company
Senator Bill P. Rabon, North Carolina Senate, District 8
Lillie L. Rhodes, Legislative Counsel, Administrative Office of the Courts
Gary H. Sikes, Owner, Bountiful Harvest Farm and Partner, Legacy Fiber Technologies
Senator Kandie D. Smith, North Carolina Senate, District 5
Keith Stone, Sheriff, Nash County
Joy Strickland, Senior Deputy Attorney General, Criminal Bureau of the North Carolina Department of Justice
Deonte' L. Thomas, Chief, Wake County Public Defender Office
Missy P. Welch, Director of Programming (Permits/Audit/Product Sections), Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
27 minutes ago
- Axios
Rep. Mary Miller faces bipartisan fury over "ignorant" Sikh comment
Rep. Mary Miller (R-Ill.) is coming under fire from colleagues in both parties after misidentifying a Sikh man as Muslim and saying he should have "never been allowed" to deliver the House's morning prayer. Why it matters: Even some Republicans are expressing disgust at Miller, a right-wing hardliner who has cultivated a reputation for making inflammatory comments. "People should think before they talk or type," vented one House Republican, speaking on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts on a fellow Republican. Miller's office has not responded to a request for comment on her post. What happened: After Giani Singh, a Sikh Grandhi from Southern New Jersey, delivered the House of Representatives' daily prayer, Miller said in a now-deleted post on X that it was "deeply troubling a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning." "This should have never been allowed to happen," she said, erroneously stating that the U.S. was "founded as a Christian nation" and that "our government should reflect that truth." Miller later edited the post to replace "Muslim" with "Sikh," then deleted it altogether. What they're saying: The House Republican who spoke to Axios said Miller's comments make her look "darn ignorant." Rep. Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) said in a post on X that "a Sikh prayer on the House floor ... doesn't violate the Constitution, offend my Catholic faith, or throttle my support for Israel," adding, "Live and let live." "I'm deeply disappointed by Rep. Mary Miller's comments," Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), who has previously sponsored Singh as a guest chaplain, said in a statement to Axios. The Congressional Asian Pacific Islander Caucus condemned"Rep. Miller's anti-Sikh and anti-Muslim bigotry," calling her post "disgraceful." Reality check: The U.S. was not founded as an explicitly Christian nation, and the the First Amendment to the Constitution protects freedom of religion. Zoom out: This is not the first time Miller has been embroiled in controversy.
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rep. Mary Miller Loses It Over 'A Muslim' Speaking In Congress Before Deleting Racist Post
Rep. Mary Miller ― a Republican from Illinois who once praised Adolf Hitler ― wrote, edited and ultimately deleted a social media post decrying 'a Muslim' speaking in Congress. 'It's deeply troubling that a Muslim was allowed to lead prayer in the House of Representatives this morning. This should have never been allowed to happen,' she wrote Friday. 'American was founded as a Christian nation, and I believe our government should reflect that truth. May God have mercy!' The man leading the prayer was guest chaplain Giani Singh, a follower of the Sikh faith, not Islam. Miller's Republican colleague Rep. Jeff Van Drew (N.J.) introduced him as such on Friday. 'Day after day, year after year, he leads not just with words. but with example ― with peace, with humility, with service towards all,' Van Drew said. 'These are not just Sikh values, they are American values.' He noted that Singh was serving as guest chaplain on the 81st anniversary of D-Day, when 'Sikh soldiers fought shoulder to shoulder with allied forces' on the beaches of Normandy in 1944. Miller eventually edited her post to change 'a Muslim' to 'a Sikh' but left the rest of her racist post untouched. Finally, she deleted it altogether. A spokesperson for Miller did not immediately respond to HuffPost's inquiries about the post or her decision to delete it. Her fellow lawmakers, however, were quick to respond. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-N.J.) mirrored Miller's post back to her with a few tweaks. 'It's deeply troubling that someone with such contempt for religious freedom is allowed to serve in this body,' she wrote. 'This should have never been allowed to happen. America was founded as free nation, and I believe the conduct of its legislators should reflect that truth, not drift further from it.' Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.) was similarly appalled. 'What's deeply disturbing is the blatant ignorance and anti-Sikh, anti-Muslim xenophobia coming from my colleague across the aisle,' she wrote. 'There is no place in our country, and especially the Halls of Congress, for this hate and intolerance. The tweet may have been deleted, but we still have the receipts.' The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, which Meng chairs, also called out Miller's ignorance about Sikhism, which has more than 24 million followers and constitutes one of the largest religions in the world. 'Sikhs and Muslims practice two separate and distinct religions, and conflating the two based on how someone looks is not only ignorant but also racist,' wrote the caucus in a post on X. 'America was founded on the principle of religious freedom. It is disgraceful that someone who has such disdain for our nation's values can serve in the halls of Congress.' Miller famously tipped her hat to Hitler shortly after being elected to Congress in 2020. 'Hitler was right on one thing,' she said at an event held by conservative group Moms for America. 'He said, 'Whoever has the youth has the future.'' Arthur Delaney contributed reporting. Trans Lawmaker Sarah McBride Drops Brutal Trump Assessment After GOP Rep's Misgendering Canadian Police Make Arrests In Killing Of Sikh Separatist That Caused Diplomatic Spat With India As Pride Month Kicks Off, Ted Cruz Leads Anti-Abortion Push To Make June 'Life Month'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Republicans Prepare Bill Declaring 'Free Palestine' Is Antisemitic
The House of Representatives is trying to pass a resolution making the term 'Free Palestine' an official antisemitic slogan. Republican Representative Gabe Evans from Colorado introduced the resolution in the wake of the attack on a gathering for Israeli hostages in Boulder this week. Mohammed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national, has been charged for the attack, during which he yelled 'Free Palestine,' according to the FBI. 'Whereas, while shouting 'Free Palestine,' an antisemitic slogan that calls for the destruction of the state of Israel and Jewish people, Mohammed Sabry Soliman attacked the peaceful demonstrators with homemade Molotov cocktails,' the resolution reads. House Republicans are expected to vote on the nonbinding resolution next week. The term 'free Palestine' has been a touchy subject among liberal and conservative Zionists alike, as they have long deemed even saying it to be antisemitic hate speech against Jews rather than an acknowledgment of the decades of displacement, destruction, death, and apartheid that Palestinians have suffered at the hands of the Israeli government. This right-wing attack on free speech clearly demonstrates the hypocrisy of these 'anti-woke' Republicans who love to wax poetic about the land of the free while kidnapping students off the streets for writing op-eds. Now this resolution seeks to further entrench the flawed logic that the Jewish religion and culture and the Israeli government that has been starving and bombing Palestinians are one and the same. Anyone who votes against this bill in an attempt to protect free speech will be labeled a terrorist sympathizer.
