President Donald Trump considers reclassifying marijuana. Is weed legal in North Carolina? – citizen-times.com
President Donald Trump is considering changing the way marijuana is classified federally, with a decision likely to come in the next several weeks.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration classifies drugs, substances and certain chemicals used to manufacture drugs into five different categories referred to as “schedules.” Schedule I drugs are defined as having “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.”
The inclusion of marijuana among Schedule I drugs has long been a source of debate among Americans, particularly as many states continue to legalize cannabis for medical use.
Here’s what we know about Trump’s recent statements, North Carolina’s current cannabis laws and more.
No, Trump is not considering the legalization of marijuana on a federal level. Rather, the president told reporters at the White House briefing room on Aug. 11 that he is considering reclassifying the drug.
USA TODAY reported that, based on Trump’s decision, marijuana could be reclassified as a Schedule III drug. While this would not legalize marijuana, it would place it in the same category as Tylenol with codeine, ketamine or testosterone.
Marijuana has been considered a Schedule I drug since the Controlled Substances Act was signed in 1970, falling into the same category as substances like heroin, MDMA or ecstasy.
Marijuana is not legal in N.C. It is decriminalized, however, meaning possession of small amounts intended for personal use rather than illegal sales will generally mean punishments of civil or local infractions rather than state crimes.
Industrial hemp – marijuana with no THC – is legal in N.C. Additionally, a popular loophole in hemp legislation has made it possible to get legally stoned. It is illegal to grow cannabis plants with more than a 0.3% concentration of delta-9 THC. Delta-8 THC, however, is not mentioned in the legislation.
Delta-8 is one of over 100 cannabinoids produced by cannabis plants, and while it is usually not found in high amounts, many N.C. hemp businesses have begun extracting the compound from plants or converting other compounds like CBD into delta-8. If you’ve seen weed sold at gas stations, tobacco stores or anywhere else, it’s likely psychoactive “delta-8” or a similar compound.
It’s worth mentioning that, while delta-8 causes a “high,” the FDA has not evaluated or approved it as safe for consumption, meaning that delta-8 products are not regulated by the FDA and could therefore be harmful to your health.
The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians voted in 2021 to legalize the sale of medical marijuana within its tribal territory known as the Qualla Boundary. It then voted to expand with sale of cannabis for recreational use. Though located within the boundaries of N.C., Cherokee is a sovereign nation that has its own elections, laws, government and institutions that are self-governed and autonomous.
The Great Smoky Cannabis Co., which opened April 20, 2024, is the EBCI’s first dispensary. It allows visitors of 21 and older to purchase recreational cannabis products – though it remains illegal to transport these products outside of the Qualla Boundary.
According to U.S. News and World Report, here are the 24 states to legalize marijuana:
For more information, visit usnews.com/news.
Iris Seaton is the trending news reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at iseaton@citizentimes.com.
