THE TIME HAS COME TO ALLOW CONTROLLED ACCESS TO CANNABIS IN NC

Let’s mirror the state’s ABC liquor process, direct revenues to schools and healthcare

 Click to Share        Click to Tweet        Click to Watch

Bill’s plan takes a measured approach to how controlled access to cannabis will be made available. Let's use the same process already in place for liquor sales, which is only sold in ABC stores to persons 21 and older and only after voters decide whether or not to permit sales.

We’ll tax it and spend the money battling teen suicide and treating the opioid health crisis. Imagine what $450 million a year could do for our schools and our health care systems.

With new revenues generated from controlled access, $337.5 million (75%) could be used to place nurses, social workers and psychologists in each public school to help confront teen depression, suicide and more. Counties and municipalities could use their revenue shares to fund behavioral health programs, alcohol and drug treatment, and combat the opioid crisis.

North Carolina’s 46,000+ farms need crops that generate more profits and create more jobs. Rural unemployment is persistently high. More than 39 counties' unemployment rates are higher than the national average. Raleigh politicians have not acted to improve those economies for the last decade.

Controlled access gives our farmers the opportunity to grow valuable cash crops again. Here in the US, assistant cannabis growers earn $20.55 per hour on average and master growers typically earn $104,000 a year.

When we regulate the process and tax the proceeds, controlled access just makes sense. Do you agree?