Medical Marijuana Clears Major Hurdle in N.C. Senate

Senate Law 711 is causing a stir in the NC Senate over medical marijuana (Photo by Melissa Rustemov)

Medical marijuana overcomes major hurdle in NC Senate

An NC Senate committee on Wednesday approved bipartisan law that would create a structure for the manufacture, licensing and sale of legalized medical marijuana in NC. If Senate Law 711 is passed, it would allow the use of marijuana by people with qualified medical conditions. It would also limit the number of pharmacies allowed in North Carolina and impose a 10% tax on marijuana products that would go to the state.

The bill has to go through three more committees before going to the Senate and then the House of Representatives. However, the approval of a bipartisan committee on Wednesday shows how support for medical marijuana legalization in NC has been growing on both sides of the aisle in recent years.

For example, Senate majority leader Kathy Harrington, a Republican who represents Gaston County, told her fellow committee members on Wednesday that her opinion on the matter had changed in the past six months when her husband was diagnosed with multiple myeloma .

“Life is coming your way quickly. I think we’ve had a few moments in our lives where these types of drugs would have helped some responses to treatment, ”Harrington said, referring to the treatments her husband has received earlier this year.

However, many proponents of full marijuana legalization have come out against this bill for reasons well summarized in this Twitter thread by Charlotte-based Make Cannabis Legal Again PAC.

Local track star on the way to the Olympics

Charlotte-born Gabbi Cunningham announced on Friday that she would be participating in the Tokyo Olympics.

Gabbi Cunningham (via Twitter)

When news of Sha’Carri Richardson’s 30-day Olympic suspension hit global headlines on Friday, some believed that Cunningham’s Twitter announcement meant she would replace Richardson, when she will actually replace reigning Olympic sprint hurdler Briana McNeal . McNeal’s appeal against a five-year ban for “manipulation within the results management process” was confirmed Friday, opening the door to Cunningham.

Once an athletics star at Mallard Creek High School in Charlotte and then NC State University, Cunningham finished fourth in the Olympics in Eugene, Oregon on June 20. She will now meet with other athletes from the Charlotte area at the Tokyo Olympics, including Michael Smolen, 27, canoe; CPCC student Zach Lokken, 27, canoe; Hough high school graduate Erika Brown, 22, swimming; Caine Wilkes of Matthews, 33, weightlifting; and Providence Day School graduate Anna Cockrell, 23, athletics.

COVID test positivity shows a slight increase

While the county had no COVID-19 deaths this week and most readings stayed stable or improved, the test positivity rate has increased only marginally over the past few weeks.

According to the latest Mecklenburg County Public Health data released Friday, there have been a total of 114,484 cases of COVID-19 and 981 coronavirus-related deaths in the county to date, an increase of 400 cases but no deaths since the same time last week. Four deaths have been registered in the Mecklenburg district since June 11th.

(Graphic courtesy of MCPH)

According to more in-depth data for cases that had occurred by Wednesday, the county had recorded a test positive rate of 3.1% in the previous week, a slightly increasing trend compared to the previous two weeks. On June 11, there was a test positive rate of 1.9%. On average, there were 44 laboratory-confirmed new infections per day, a relatively stable trend compared to the previous weeks. On average, 39 people were hospitalized for COVID-19 on any given day over the past week, a decreasing trend, possibly due to the fact that those vaccinated may still be infected but rarely show symptoms.

The MCPH also reported on Friday that 49% of the total population of the Mecklenburg district (540,125 inhabitants) had been at least partially vaccinated by Wednesday, while 45% of the total population of the Mecklenburg district (500,205 inhabitants) were fully vaccinated.

The HOMES program of the Mecklenburg district accepts applications

The homeowner application phase has begun to apply for benefits from the county’s HOMES program, a public funding program designed to help qualified low-to-middle-income homeowners keep their homes through financial assistance.

The application period for 2021 began on Thursday and runs until October 31. Applications are processed according to the first-come-first-served principle until the funds are used up.

The grant funds are paid to the Mecklenburg district tax authority, which reduces the total amount of taxes to be paid for the respective main residence of the eligible recipients. The amount granted is equal to 25% of the Mecklenburg County tax amount on the last available tax bill, rounded to the nearest dollar, but cannot exceed $ 340.

A scholarship holder from last year announced in a press release on Thursday why she is grateful for the scholarship. “The gentrification on my street is shocking,” said Sherry Miller. “I’m glad to have it.”

Visit the county website to learn more about the program, including terms and conditions, and to apply.

Homicides reached 53 for the year

Two men were killed in various shootings this week, bringing the total number of illegal killings in Charlotte to 53 that year.

Shortly after 2:20 a.m. on Sunday, police responded to an exchange of fire in a mall on East Independence Boulevard near Zeus Street and found 31-year-old Emmanuel Gebru with a gunshot wound. He was transported to the hospital by MEDIC, but later died. On Tuesday police announced the arrest of a 24-year-old man charged with the murder of Gebru.

Shortly after 10:45 p.m. Tuesday, police responded to reports that someone was shot dead on Mayfield Terrace Drive in the Nia Point Apartments in the Washington Heights neighborhood of northwest Charlotte. The emergency services found 20-year-old Joshua Hollingsworth with a gunshot wound. MEDIC transported Hollingsworth to the hospital, where he later died. Police later charged a 24-year-old man with the murder of Hollingsworth and a 17-year-old boy with aiding and abetting after the crime.

Become part of Nerve: Connect better and become a monthly donor to support our mission and join thousands of Charlotteans by subscribing to our email newsletter. If you are looking for some art in Charlotte, subscribe to the newspaper for the most in-depth coverage of our local scene.