House Bill 576: Marijuana Justice and Reinvestment Act

• Legalizes possession and use of cannabis for adults 21 years or older, establishing a regulated system through the Department of Public Safety with licensing requirements for cultivators, manufacturers, retailers, and testing facilities.

• Imposes a 20% excise tax on cannabis sales (exempt for medical patients) with revenue distributed to community reinvestment (25%), social equity programs (10%), education (3%), substance abuse treatment (7%), public health education (2%), cannabis research (2%), and impaired driving enforcement (up to 1%).

• Creates an Office of Social Equity to promote participation by individuals and communities disproportionately harmed by cannabis prohibition, including those with prior cannabis convictions, and establishes three funds for reinvestment and technical assistance.

• Authorizes medical cannabis use under a separate registry system administered by the North Carolina Medical Care Commission for patients with qualifying conditions, with protections for patients, designated caregivers, and physicians.

• Automatically expunges convictions for cannabis offenses that are now legal under the bill by July 1, 2024, and allows localities to impose a 3% local option tax on cannabis sales.