North Carolina took a step toward legalizing medical marijuana on Tuesday. The state’s branch of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) hosted a lobbying event to inform legislators about the potentials of medical marijuana.
On the third floor auditorium in the Raleigh Legislative Building at 16 West Jones St., several advocates spoke in support for the legalization of medical marijuana, outlined in the proposed N.C. Medical Marijuana Act.
Of the speakers was Dr. Kevin Baiko, a Hawaiian who gained renown for his specialization in the medicinal uses of cannabis. Dr. Baiko gave a presentation highlighting the advantages of marijuana on the endocrine system.
Another speaker was Ben Scales, the attorney who penned the medical marijuana act four years ago.
Advocates and NORML members filled almost 1,000 seats in the auditorium to show their support.
Supporters arrived as early as 9 a.m., although the event did not officially begin until 11 a.m.
The bill was not put to a vote, as it was never planned to, according to North Carolina NORML’s Facebook page. Legislators have yet to set a date to put the bill to vote.
