North Carolina Senate Passes Compassionate Care Act – at Exactly 4:20 p.m.

On Tuesday, February 28, 2023, at exactly 4:20 p.m., the Compassionate Care Act passed a preliminary vote in the North Carolina Senate. The bill – which passed the Senate in 2022 but stalled in the House – would allow medical marijuana use in the state for individuals with qualifying conditions. The 4:20 passage time may be coincidence, but we are taking it as a good omen that the bill’s prospects in the House may be brighter this year.

In 2022, the House didn’t take the bill up for a vote, but House Speaker Tim Moore recently stated that the bill had “decent prospects of passage” in 2023. Moore shared that, in 2022, the bill was “overwhelmingly opposed” in the House, but that “attitudes have changed” and more members of the House see that there are “potentially legitimate uses for” medical marijuana. This shift in attitude brings House members more in line with North Carolina voters, 82% of whom favor legalizing medical cannabis. The bill will go to one more vote in the Senate before being sent to the House. We will, of course, keep you updated on the bill’s progress – and on any additional 4:20 passage times. In the meantime, be sure to read our full rundown of the Compassionate Care Act and its potential impact in North Carolina.