What are North Carolina’s marijuana laws?

While many states across the nation have legalized recreational marijuana and/or created laws allowing medical marijuana usage, North Carolina still has very strict penalties for this drug. Although the state has decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana, there are severe punishments for possessing over 1.5 ounces and for trafficking. Additionally, marijuana still falls under the federal government’s definition of a Schedule I controlled substance. Both state and federal penalties for possessing marijuana may be severe.

According to FindLaw, there have been several attempts to legalize medical marijuana in North Carolina, but most have failed. The one law that did pass in 2015 allows extremely limited usage of medical marijuana. This law only permits cannabidiol oil (which does not contain the marijuana substance that causes psychoactive effects) for use in treating seizures. You must have intractable epilepsy to meet the state’s requirements to obtain and use CBD oil. Compared with most other states’ medical marijuana laws, this one has severe limitations.

North Carolina does not allow recreational marijuana use. If you get a conviction for possessing less than 0.5 ounces of marijuana, it counts as a misdemeanor but still incurs a $200 fine. Possessing more than half an ounce of marijuana may lead to more significant penalties, including jail time and a $1,000 fine. However, possession still counts as a misdemeanor as long as the amount of marijuana you have is less than 1.5 ounces. A conviction for possessing between 1.5 ounces and 10 pounds is a felony that may lead to several months in jail. It is important to remember that you may face federal charges for possessing marijuana, and these may also involve fines and jail time.