Legislators this week considered bills on a variety of topics.
TikTok Ban
The Senate State and Local Government Committee this week passed S 83, a bill that would prohibit use of “high risk platforms” (including websites and applications) on public devices and networks. It lists TikTok, WeChat and Telegram under this definition and it applies to state government agencies, as well as the University of North Carolina System, the community college system, K-12 public schools and local governments. The Senate Judiciary Committee will next consider the bill.
Medical Marijuana
Two Senate Committees (Judiciary and Finance) this week passed S 3, a bill to legalize cannabis (marijuana) for certain medical purposes, and sent it to the Senate Rules Committee. The Senate passed a similar bill in 2022, but the House did not consider it. The Senate is expected to pass the bill this year, but its fate in the House is uncertain. The bill authorizes a doctor trained in prescribing medical cannabis to prescribe it for certain “debilitating medical conditions” such as cancer, epilepsy, Crohn’s disease, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Parkinson’s disease and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). A Compassionate Use Advisory Board created in the bill could add to this list. A new Medical Cannabis Production Commission would award supplier licenses to 10 entities (each could open up to eight medical cannabis centers across North Carolina) that could grow, process and sell cannabis. Patients or caregivers would register with the NC Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS).
Health Care Bills
The House this week passed two health care bills—H 35 and H 75. H 35 expands the definition of an opioid antagonist (drugs used to negate the effect of opioids) to include all antagonists approved by the Federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment of drug overdoses and H 75 updates state laws governing Physician Assistants and would allow them additional authority to prescribe, order, administer, and procure drugs and medical devices under certain circumstances.
Information about bills and work of the General Assembly can be found at its website: www.ncleg.gov.
