North Carolina lawmakers say they’re fueling debate over the state’s marijuana laws — a move by the Trump administration to reclassify it as a less dangerous drug.
Across the country, a set of laws and enforcements regulate marijuana. The drug is illegal under federal law, but dozens of US states have legalized it. And almost all states have legalized medical marijuana prescriptions for certain ailments. North Carolina is among the remaining states to resist any form of legalization. Republican politicians in North Carolina have resisted passing any bills to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, despite public opinion polls showing broad public support for such changes.
Senate President Phil Berger said he expects his chamber to revisit efforts to legalize medical marijuana this week. “We will have a conversation within our caucus if they are interested in whether we do something,” Berger told reporters Tuesday.
The recent actions of Republican President Donald Trump may add a new dimension to these conversations. Trump’s acting attorney general on Thursday signed the drug classification as a less dangerous and less strictly regulated drug than marijuana. Federal law does not legalize marijuana for medical or recreational use.
The meetings, activists said, were at the request of Gov. Mike Braun (R).
“The governor has reached out to us to meet with other heads of his department to get their input on this move,” military veteran Jeff Staker, one of the advocates, told Fox 59. “Our next step, hopefully, will be in the governor’s office.”
Lucy Luman, who is also a veteran and serves as president of Indiana NORML, he said That federal reform “addresses major challenges our lawmakers have raised before.”
Advocates previously met with Indiana Secretary of Business Affairs Mike Speedy, they told WHTR-TV.
“It tells you that the governor has considered it well, and I hope that our organization and others will come into the governor’s office and discuss with him and brainstorm more,” Staker. he said. “You have to realize that a lot of our state legislators have been waiting for that to happen.”
“The feds have made their move, and now it’s time for Indiana to make ours,” he said. “And of course we want to do well.”
State Rep. Jim Lucas (R) said federal marijuana rescheduling “takes away the arguments that the opposition had in our state.”
State Sen. Rodney Pol (D) agreed, saying the Trump administration’s action has “helped get the ball rolling.”
last month, The governor said the “crescendo will rise” in the call to legalize marijuanaregional dynamics as well as law enforcement by opting for reform. But for now, he said, the GOP legislative leadership is “not interested in doing anything anytime soon,” even though “half of Hoosiers probably smoke illegally.”
Braun said he thinks lawmakers should take an “extra look” at medical cannabis and, while he’s personally “agnostic” about legalization, the reality is Indiana is “now surrounded by four states” that allow medicinal or adult use of cannabis.
“Probably half of Hoosiers smoke illegally,” he said, noting that suburban Kentucky allows patients to access medical cannabis, while Illinois, Michigan and Ohio have recreational marijuana laws.
“I’m going to listen to law enforcement. They’ve even changed their minds about legalizing and regulating,” Braun said, adding that he compared cannabis to gambling. The state was late to pass laws allowing adults to gamble, he said, but now ranks among the top three states nationally in terms of per capita revenue from vice.
“Some people won’t want to, just on principle. A lot of police and sheriffs in our state are willing to cross the border (to buy cannabis). It’s going to be a growing problem, so far, the way our state legislature has opposed it,” he said. “I’ve been more agnostic about it. I can see the points of view, and I’ve seen law enforcement move somewhat.”
“So that will give you the best description of where the dynamic is in our state,” the governor told WOWO. “I think the leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House in particular are cool — and they control the legislative agenda — they’re not interested in doing anything anytime soon. But I think the crescendo will rise, and that pretty much describes where we are.”
Specifically, Ball State University’s (BSU) Bowen Center’s annual Hoosier Poll found that 59 percent of residents support the legalization of cannabis for medical and recreational purposes. An additional 25 percent return allowing patients to access medical marijuana, bringing total support for that reform to 84 percent.
“It’s no secret that I’m not,” Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray (R) said at the end of 2024. “I don’t have people coming to me with really compelling medical cases to find out why it’s so beneficial. And any situation I’ve seen, it’s passing medical marijuana, it’s basically passing recreational marijuana.”
House Speaker Todd Huston (R) questioned any medical benefits associated with marijuana, calling the substance a “mental health deterrent.” He and others suggested that lawmakers in favor of reform simply want to increase state revenue.
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In 2017, the city of Oakland made history by becoming the first city in the country to launch a Cannabis Equity Program, which helps those affected by the “War on Drugs” enter the cannabis industry and create thriving local businesses. The program changed policy conversations about cannabis equity in California and across the nation.
Now, in an effort to raise awareness about venture capital and help them survive and thrive, Oakland has launched the nation’s first initiative to promote city-certified venture capital businesses in the cannabis industry. The Oakland Legendary Cannabis Certified Equity Label lets buyers know they support businesses that invest in creating high-quality products by prioritizing equity. The label commemorates the city of Oakland as the birthplace of modern cannabis legalization and highlights its operators as legendary pioneers who define cannabis culture and set standards that are now accepted worldwide. Oakland currently has 50 licensed Equity cannabis businesses.
“Oakland continues to lead with courage and conviction. During my time in Congress, I chaired the Cannabis Caucus and called for cannabis equity programs to address the harm done to Black and Brown communities,” said Oakland Mayor Barbara Lee. “Today, the Oakland Legendary label puts power back where it belongs, helping consumers make informed choices and ensuring that those with the most influence lead and thrive in today’s economy. Oakland is proud to lead the way!”
“The City of Oakland is committed to fostering the economic success of local venture capital companies,” said Ashleigh Kanat, director of Oakland’s Department of Economic and Workforce Development. “The Oakland Legendary brand lets consumers know they’re supporting a certified Oakland stock business and getting a true Oakland experience: premium, authentic and locally produced with a story they won’t find anywhere else. This differentiation will increase the presence of cannabis products in the market.”
“The Oakland Legendary brand is the gold standard for quality,” says Dale Sky Jones, Executive Chancellor of Oakland University. “These are the ones who defined the culture and perfected the craft long before there was a legal market. When you buy Oakland Legendary, you’re not just supporting a local business; you’re getting the world’s most authentic, high-caliber cannabis. These brands are true trendsetters, and once you try them, you’ll understand why Oakland remains the epicenter of the world’s finest cannabis.”
“Root’d believes it is extremely important to highlight the brands of operators who were disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs and educate the consumer on the importance of protecting the equity brands that have shaped the culture and community of cannabis. These core equity brands are the root ecosystem of our culture; the bigger and stronger the roots, the healthier Root’d’s culture McCullough” 510 has a long legacy in the cannabis industry and has been featured on the front page of the New York Times for being one of the first dispensaries in the nation. “It’s important to us that we direct consumers to amazing products and also shop with a purpose.”
Consumers can easily identify Oakland’s legendary certified equity operators through the Oakland Legendary certification mark on packaging, advertisements, and certified equity dealer windows. In a nod to the resilience of the community, the brand’s official positioning is slightly tilted, with the word “Legendary” rising, symbolizing the upward trajectory and sustained growth of Oakland’s capital operators.
The Oakland Legendary awareness campaign includes exclusive use of the certification mark on packaging and marketing materials and “I Hella ♡ Oakland Legendary Cannabis” swag. High-visibility billboards are located along Highway 880 to publicize the program. The public awareness campaign is supported by the National Equity Trade Network.
“These drugs, in fact, have always been illegal, but we brought clarity to the law and strengthened the law.”
Antoinette Grajeda, Arkansas attorney
Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin (R) on Wednesday formally gave the go-ahead for the state to enforce a law regulating hemp-derived products after challenging an earlier state measure that banned the sale of such products.
Act 934 of 2025 updated the 2023 law that banned the sale and distribution of certain hemp-derived products, such as Delta-8 and THC-O, according to a press release from Griffin’s office.
The 2023 law was challenged and blocked by a federal judge who said it was preempted by the 2018 Farm Bill, which prohibits laws that interfere with the right to transport hemp in interstate commerce.
The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals lifted the order last summer, allowing Arkansas to implement a ban on those products. In a period of three months, the State Department of Finance and Administration seized more than 6,000 products, the statement said.
The 2025 law would take effect when Griffin certified that a final judgment had been entered in the case. The Attorney General of the Republic signed this certificate on Wednesday in a press conference held in his office.
“It’s been a long road to get to this point, but I’m proud of my team for successfully defending the 2023 Act, and I’m happy to finally secure this Act,” Griffin. he said in a statement
Hemp-derived products were packaged as gummies and drinks marketed to children and sold online and in stores without age requirements for purchase, Griffin said.
Sen. Tyler Dees, a Siloam Springs Republican who sponsored both bills, said Wednesday the issue is important to him as a father of three young children. Dees said she listened to lobbyists and concerned parents when the legislation was debated, and came out “in favor of protecting children over the profits of these illegal drug dealers.”
“These drugs have honestly always been illegal, but we have brought clarity to the law and strengthened the law,” he said. “And that’s why I’m so excited today that Arkansas is safer for all of our communities because of the actions we’ve been able to take.”
Arkansas is among several states trying to regulate hemp products, including Alabama, Indiana and Missouri.
Arkansas voters legalized medical marijuana in 2016 and rejected a ballot measure that would have legalized recreational marijuana in 2022.
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