In the last day or two, you may have read headlines like the following:

N.C. Senate Passes Medical Cannabis Legislation

Those who follow this issue know it’s been a long, winding road. Does this headline mean the journey is over? Is medical marijuana now legal in the Tar Heel State?

No. The journey is only half over. S.711, known as the Compassionate Care Act, still has to pass the NC House of Representatives, which will probably make changes to the bill. It would then need to go back to the Senate to agree with the changes. If the Senate makes further changes, then it would go back to the House . . . you get the idea.

Bottom line: medical cannabis in NC is not dead. But it is not yet legal. You can track the bill through every step on the General Assembly website or the UNC School of Government Reporting Service.

Curious about other states’ medical marijuana laws? This page from the National Conference of State Legislatures can help.

How about a federal law? The United States House of Representatives recently passed this bill. It will have to be passed by the U.S. Senate and signed by President Biden to become law.