Response to 2020 NC Family Policy Council's question “Should North Carolina legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes?” YES

An 'A' letter grade indicates that this candidate has publicly declared their support for ending prohibition of marijuana for adults and/or has cosponsored legislation to do so.

His responses to NC NORML's 2020 Questionnaire:

Do you support prohibiting access to marijuana (cannabis) by persons younger than 21 years, unless for evidence-based medical applications prescribed by a healthcare provider and with parental consent? YES

Research reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that states with legalized cannabis saw a reduction in opioid use and opioid overdose deaths. Would you consider legalizing medical cannabis as a strategy to reduce opioid use? YES

According to the Cato Institute, North Carolina spent ~ $263.3 million in state and local dollars to enforce cannabis laws in 2016. Meanwhile, the American Journal of Drug Alcohol Abuse found that arrestees who tested positive for THC had low incidents of aggressive crime. Aggressive crimes were associated with self-reported use of alcohol. Would you consider decriminalizing possession of cannabis since its use results in less aggression than legal alcohol? YES

A Mayo Clinic study has shown that cannabis has lower addiction rates than alcohol (Nicotine 32%; Heroin 23%; Cocaine 17%; Alcohol 15%; Cannabis 9%). Do you agree that adults should have the right to use cannabis? MAYBE

Contradicting the myth that cannabis is a gateway drug, the RAND Corporation reported in 2012 that the use of cocaine dropped 50% as cannabis use increased 40%. Cannabis is associated with lower use of hard drugs and is not a gateway drug. Would you consider legalizing adult use of cannabis? YES

Thank you for completing this questionnaire. If you would like to say more about your stance on changing NC law with respect to cannabis, you may do so here:

"I do think we should have a conversation about legalizing cannabis in North Carolina. We waste far too much taxpayer money on simple possession charges for nonviolent offenders while simultaneously ruining the lives of countless individuals that would otherwise never have had a criminal record. Instead of paying to imprison these offenders and wastefully allocating precious resources such as the time and effort of law enforcement on such frivolity, we could be generating a new source of state revenue. Legalizing cannabis would open an entire new industry here in North Carolina which would stimulate job growth and economic advancement. It would encourage entrepreneurship and create new incentives for commerce. North Carolina is also missing out on a valuable opportunity to be at the forefront of remarkable medical applications for cannabis. With some of the finest medical facilities in the world, this is an opportunity North Carolina cannot afford to miss. Cannabis has seen breakthroughs in many areas of the medical industry such as Epilepsy treatments, treatments in mental health, as well as curbing opioid addiction." While I don’t personally use cannabis and would recommend against it’s use by the general public, I subscribe to the philosophy that a government which governs least, governs best. The opioid crisis serves as substantive proof that the war on drugs has been a complete failure. The prohibition of alcohol gave rise to organized crime and general mayhem. Such are the result of overreaching government prohibitions and cannabis has proven no different. Perhaps it’s time for a new direction and a different approach to this issue, rather than maintaining the status quo.