North Carolina got a step closer to legalizing medical cannabis on Thursday when the state Senate gave it its initial approval.
The Senate approved a measure legalizing medical cannabis in its first of two votes, 33-9, with nine Republicans breaking from the rest of the party to oppose it. If approved a second time, the bill will go to the state House, which has historically blocked Senate attempts to legalize the drug's medical use.
Medical cannabis products are legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. More than 20 states allow the drug to be used recreationally, too.
Legalizing medical cannabis for qualifying patients with a "debilitating medical condition" was added to a bill on Wednesday that originally focused on creating further state regulations for federally legal hemp products. Those hemp products contain a concentration of less than 0.3% of THC concentration, the compound that gives cannabis its high.
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