Could North Carolina ever legalize recreational pot as a source of income for their state? Not with the current bass-ackwards leadership available to the citizenry. Of course, they’ll allow tobacco farming. But pot? Hell no. We’re talking about a state that still has completely dry counties and doesn’t allow hunting on Sunday.
“It is going to take a real change of heart of the North Carolina people,” Sen. Thom Goolsby told Podunk local news reporter Sarah Murphy with WWAY 3 TV.
“When most people think of pot, there is a negative connotation,” Goolsby opens her report. Only, that isn’t the case overall in this country where a growing majority don’t agree that pot has a negative connotation other than being (wrongly) made illegal.
She went on to interview other people who shared her narrow worldview.
“If you have a lot of people that are using marijuana that didn’t used to, how could that be positive?” said Rep. Rick Catlin when pitched the question of whether or not his state should ever allow recreational pot.
Someone should tell Catlin that the illegality of cannabis isn’t currently keeping anyone from using cannabis whatsoever.
A few legislators took the new, politically-correct position of saying they would allow for medical use of marijuana, but never would they allow it for anyone to simply get high. They don’t even want to hear about it
“If it was for that purpose that would be the only purpose it would be used for and not for commercial use or personal pleasure,” said Rep. Tom Davis.
Predictably, the comments section of the report was full of comment from actual North Carolinians and not political puppets. The station even set up a survey, with 65 percent of 785 total votes (as of last night) agreeing that the state should legalize, tax and regulate cannabis for consenting adults.
“Goolsby can try to lie to people and say that it would take a big change in thinking for the North Carolinian people in order to make the general public believe that but it is a lie,” one commenter wrote. “It will take a big change in our elected officials allowing it to make it onto the ballot. They are scared to put it on the ballot because it would be very close to passing. Let the people truly speak their voice for or against and put it on the ballot!!!”
“I suppose it makes sense to politicians to continue outsourcing sales and production to criminals instead of allowing our farmers to produce and allowing local businesses to sell and tax marijuana,” wrote another commenter. “
And spending millions arresting and incarcerating people for marijuana is keeping marijuana out of the childrens hands in NC so well why change it and make it harder for them to get or allow police to target the people selling drugs to our kids,,better to have them chasing evey puff of smoke.”
North Carolina does not allow for citizen-driven ballot initiatives. All proposed laws at the state level have to be made by state legislators.
Currently in North Carolina, possession of up to a half-ounce is a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $200 and no jailtime. Between a half-ounce and an ounce and a half is a misdemeanor with up to 45 days in jail and $1,000 in fines. More than that but less than 10 pounds is a felony charge with up to eight months in jail and $1,000 in fines. Cultivation of less than ten pounds is a felony charge with up to eight months in jail. More than ten pounds, and you’re looking at doing at least two years in jail, all the way up to 18 years if you’ve got more than 10,000 pounds.