NC Democratic candidates united on legalizing medical marijuana; Republicans split
This summer, North Carolina took a step toward joining 39 other states in legalizing medical marijuana.
After key Republicans in the state Senate switched positions on the issue, senators passed a medical marijuana bill with bipartisan support. The measure then stalled in the House, where it has sat since the General Assembly gaveled out in July.
With a new set of candidates running to represent the state, medical marijuana could be back on the table when the legislature returns in January.
For its 2022 Voter Guide, The News & Observer asked candidates for the General Assembly their stances on legalizing medical marijuana. Democrats are in near lockstep on the issue, while Republicans who responded to the questionnaire are fragmented.
No Democratic candidates who responded opposed legalization; 96% favored it and 4% said they were undecided. But while 45% of Republican respondents said yes to legalization, nearly 40% were undecided and 16% were opposed.
Of the Republicans who responded that they opposed legalizing medical marijuana, two of them who were contacted by The N&O for this story clarified their stances. Cynthia Clementi, who is running for House District 102, said she supported legalization to treat severe illnesses. Alvin Reed, who is running for Senate District 20, said he would be “more inclined to vote for medical marijuana than I would be for just the general public.”
The figures cannot represent all candidates for the 2022 General Assembly election, though, because not all candidates responded to the survey. And while 65% of Democratic candidates responded to the survey, less than 20% of Republican candidates responded.
Nearly 70% of North Carolinians support legalizing medical marijuana, according to an April poll from Emerson College. As for recreational use of marijuana, only 46% of respondents to the Emerson poll were in favor of legalization.
Legalization debate in NC
The bill that passed the Senate last session, the NC Compassionate Care Act, would have made marijuana available as treatment to people with severe illnesses, such as cancer, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder. Democrats pushed for wider availability, but were ultimately blocked by Republicans leading the process.
Republican Sen. Bill Rabon sponsored the bill, insisting that it maintain strict restrictions in order to gain conservative support.
Republican Mark Cavaliero, who is running a competitive race for Senate District 17 against Democratic incumbent Sydney Batch, said he supports legalizing medical marijuana.
“If it’s something that’s going to help people and it’s not going to be abused, then I’d like to give folks the help that they need to ease their suffering just a little bit,” he said in a phone interview with The N&O.
David Bankert, a Republican running for Senate District 13, which covers northern Wake County, said in The N&O’s questionnaire he was undecided on medical marijuana.
“It would need to be regulated,” he said in a follow-up interview. “I think some of the states that have it, California, Colorado, Washington State, Oregon, I think that when I look at their societies I think that in some ways maybe it’s gotten a little bit out of control.”
Rep. Marcia Morey, who represents Durham, said that legislators on both sides of the aisle appear to be coming around on the issue after seeing its success in other states.
“I just think it’s an issue the more people learn about, the more people see that other states have provided medical marijuana, that it’s a common sense measure,” she said.
Democrats in the Senate voted almost unanimously in favor of legalization last session, and the vast majority of Democratic candidates appear to support it as well.
Sen. Julie Mayfield was one of two Democrats to vote against the medical marijuana bill last session, saying that the regulations it put in place for growing could hurt small farmers across the state.
Responses from all candidates who filled out The N&O’s questionnaire can be found in our 2022 Voter Guide at newsobserver.com/voter-guide.
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This story was originally published October 28, 2022 at 2:01 PM with the headline "NC Democratic candidates united on legalizing medical marijuana; Republicans split."
