North Carolina House Speaker: Medical Cannabis Legalization Bill Likely Dead for Session

North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore (R) said Tuesday that the medical cannabis legalization bill is likely dead for the session, the Associated Press reports. Moore indicated the proposal was opposed by many of the chamber’s Republican members.  

Moore told reporters that there’s a rule within the House Republican Caucus that a majority of its members must be willing to vote for legislation on the House floor for it to be heard, even if it could pass the chamber with Democratic support. 

Complying with the rule “would require a number of House members who’ve taken a position of ‘no’ to literally switch their position to want to vote for it, and I just don’t see that happening,” Moore said to reporters on Tuesday. 

House Majority Leader John Bell (R) told Spectrum News that the reforms would likely come up during next year’s chief legislative session, which is likely to start in May. He added that there are members of the House GOP caucus that are “100% supportive” of legalizing medical cannabis in the state, while other members remain “100% opposed.” 

Since June 2022, the Senate has twice passed medical cannabis reforms, but the bill has never received a vote in the House. Both legislative chambers are controlled by Republicans.