Is weed legal in North Carolina?
This article is going to cover:
Weed is not legal in North Carolina for recreational use.
But weed is legal in North Carolina for medical use.
Let’s look at the different types of North Carolina weed laws.
| Offense | Penalties | Jail Time | Max Fines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Possession | |||
| Up to 14 grams | Misdemeanor | None | $200 |
| 14 - 42 grams | Misdemeanor | 45 days | $1,000 |
| 42 grams - 10 lbs | Felony | 8 months | $1,000 |
| Sale Or Distribution | |||
| Less than 10 lbs | Felony | 8 months | $5,000 |
| 10 lbs - 50 lbs | Felony | 3 years | $5,000 |
| 50 lbs - 2,000 lbs | Felony | 4.5 years | $25,000 |
| 2,000 - 10,000 lbs | Felony | 7.8 years | $50,000 |
| 10,000+ lbs | Felony | 18.5 years | $200,000 |
| Cultivation | |||
| Less than 10 lbs | Felony | 8 months | $1,000 |
| 10 lbs - 50 lbs | Felony | 2.5 years | $5,000 |
| 50 lbs - 2,000 lbs | Felony | 3.5 years | $25,000 |
| 2,000 - 10,000 lbs | Felony | 7 years | $50,000 |
| 10,000+ lbs | Felony | 18 years | $200,000 |
| Hash & Concentrates | |||
| Possession of 1.5 g or less | Misdemeanor | 10 days | $200 |
| Possession 1.5 g - 4.25 g | Misdemeanor | 45 days | $200 |
| Possession 4.25+ g | Felony | 180 days | $200 |
These are the marijuana laws for personal possession of marijuana.
Recreational weed is still not decriminalized in North Carolina for adult use.
For recreational pot, possession of up to 14 grams is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
You won’t get any jail time, but you’ll get a $200 fine.
Possession of 14 grams up to 42 grams is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
And will get you up to 45 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
42 grams up to 10 pounds gets you a Class 1 felony conviction.
And you get up to 8 months in jail and a $1,000 fine.
These same penalties apply to:
Related: How Many People Are In Jail For Weed
These are the marijuana laws for personal possession of marijuana with intent to distribute.
Lawmakers automatically assume that you’re intending to distribute with 10+ lbs.
These will all be automatic felony convictions in NC.
Selling less than 10 lbs of marijuana is a felony with:
The following weights apply to:
From 10 – 50 lbs is a Class H felony with:
From 50 – 2,000 lbs is a Class G felony with:
From 2,000 – 10,000 lbs is a Class F felony with:
From 10,000+ lbs is a Class D felony with:
Punishment for the cultivation of cannabis in North Carolina gets based on the weight.
Growing weed is a felony for all amounts in North Carolina.
Growing less than 10 lbs is a felony with:
Growing 10 – 50 lbs is a felony with:
Growing 50 – 2,000 lbs is a felony with:
Growing 2,000 – 10,000 lbs is a felony with:
Growing 10,000+ lbs is a felony with:
Cultivation weights depend on the weight of the plants.
This can include the root ball with soil, so be careful.
Law enforcement can play dirty to increase the charges you receive.
Adult use of hash has not gotten decriminalized in North Carolina.
Possession of fewer than 1.5 grams of hash is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
You will get up to a $200 fine and 10 days in jail.
Possession of 1.5 – 4.25 grams of hash is a Class 1 misdemeanor.
You will get up to a $200 fine and 45 days in jail.
Possession of 4.25+ grams of hash is a Class 1 felony.
You will get up to a $200 fine and 6 months in jail.
Possession or selling of paraphernalia is a misdemeanor in North Carolina.
You will get up to 45 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.
Any marijuana-related incidents involving a minor are a felony.
This can include if you possess it with your kids in the car.
You’ll get up to 7 years in jail for this.
Possession inside of a jail tacks another felony onto your sentence.
And lands you with up to an extra 8 months in jail.
North Carolina claims that they have decriminalized cannabis.
But possession of any amount still gets you a misdemeanor or a felony.
So, it’s safe to say that marijuana is not decriminalized in NC.
This section is covering whether weed is legal in North Carolina for:
Is weed legal in North Carolina for recreational use?
No, weed is not legal in North Carolina for recreational use.
Yes, weed is legal in North Carolina for medical use.
North Carolina Senate Judiciary Committee approved revisions to SB 711 in 2021.
This weed legalization bill is named the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act.
Medical marijuana legalization is very strict, though.
It’s only available to patients:
Patients are able to buy up to one ounce of medical weed per day.
But they cannot buy more than 6 ounces per month.
The qualifying medical conditions for a medical card in North Carolina are:
Medical marijuana laws allow patients to buy one ounce of marijuana at a time.
Patients are not allowed to be growers of their own medical use.
This falls under the state laws on cultivation for personal use mentioned above.
They are only able to purchase medical cannabis from licensed dispensaries.
There are currently 70 dispensaries and over 144,000 medical marijuana users.
Purchasing cannabis outside of a licensed dispensary is illegal for North Carolina residents.
Lawmakers consider non-dispensary weed controlled substances.
The North Carolina House continues to vote down marijuana legalization.
The House’s General Assembly is located in Raleigh.
But, 54% of North Carolina voters approve of legalizing the adult use of marijuana.
64% of Republicans support legalizing the use of marijuana for adults.
While 75% of Democrats support it.
This bill legalized marijuana for medical use in North Carolina.
This medical marijuana bill is called the NC Compassionate Care Act.
But it was a strict medical marijuana legalization bill from Gov. Roy Cooper.
Dispensaries could only give medical weed to patients with qualifying conditions:
They were able to purchase up to one ounce of weed for personal use.
If you’re interested in what states weed is legal in, here’s a list of all the states.
Disclaimer: These codes may not be the most recent version. There may be more current or accurate information. We make no warranties or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or adequacy of the information contained on this site or the information linked to on the state site. Please check official sources.
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