Harnett County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025

Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Harnett County?

As of July 2023, it was not legal to cultivate cannabis in Harnett County and other counties of the State of North Carolina. However, there were pending bills proposing the legalization of medical cannabis and adult-use cannabis, respectively, including their licensed cultivation.

Senate Bill 3 (SB 3), to be called the North Carolina Compassionate Care Act if enacted, proposes the legalization of medical cannabis, as well as the licensed cultivation of medical cannabis crops, manufacturing of medical cannabis products, and retail selling of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products only to medical cannabis cardholders. It was passed in the state’s Senate with a vote of 36-10 in March 2023 and sent to the House of Representatives. As of May 18, 2023, it was re-referred to the House Committee on Health. If it gets a favorable response, it will be re-referred to the Committee on Finance and, from there, to the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations.

House Bill 626 (HB 626), to be called the Cannabis Legalization & Regulation Act if it is enacted, proposes the legalization of adult-use cannabis, including the licensing of adult-use cannabis crop cultivation, product manufacturing, and retail selling to individuals aged 21 and above. It will give local governments of counties and municipalities the right to pass ordinances to disallow adult-use cannabis businesses within their respective jurisdictions, though. HB 626 was filed in the state’s House of Representatives on April 17, 2023. It passed the first reading on April 18 and was referred to the Committee on Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.

SB 3 proposes that a Medical Cannabis Production Commission be created under the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NCDHHS) to regulate and license medical cannabis in the state. It shall issue the medical cannabis supplier license to cover medical cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and retail. Licensees’ dispensaries shall be called medical cannabis centers. The license fee for the first year shall be $50,000 plus $5,000 for every manufacturing facility and medical cannabis center of the licensee. The annual license renewal fee shall be at least $10,000, plus $1,000 for every existing manufacturing facility and medical cannabis center of the licensee, and another $5,000 for every new manufacturing facility and medical cannabis center to be added by the licensee. The licensee shall be required to ensure the security of all its medical cannabis facilities against intrusion and theft.

HB 626 proposes that the licensing of adult-use cannabis businesses, such as adult-use cannabis cultivation businesses, be put under the North Carolina Department of Public Safety (NCDPS). An adult-use cannabis cultivation facility license issued by the NCDPS shall be a requirement for an adult-use cannabis cultivation business to operate. Both indoor and outdoor cultivation shall be allowed. The NCDPS shall set licensing fees and security requirements according to the cultivation facility’s size and whether cultivation is done indoors or outdoors.

The legalization of home cultivation of adult-use cannabis by individuals aged 21 and above is also proposed by HB 626, with a possession limit of six plants. If the cultivator does not own the home, the property owner’s consent for cannabis cultivation shall be required. The growing area shall be required to be enclosed, not viewable by the public, and locked against access by individuals who are below the age of 21.

Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Harnett County?

As of July 2023, cannabis product manufacturing was not legal in Harnett County and elsewhere in the State of North Carolina. However, SB 3 proposes the legalization of medical cannabis product manufacturing with a medical cannabis supplier license granted by the NCDHHS, and HB 626 proposes the legalization of adult-use cannabis product manufacturing with an adult-use cannabis product manufacturing facility license issued by the NCDPS.

Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Harnett County?

Cannabis retail was not legal in Harnett County and the whole of the State of North Carolina as of July 2023.

The legalization of medical cannabis and medical cannabis product retail selling to medical cannabis cardholders is proposed by SB 3 for NCDHHS medical cannabis supplier license holders. Licensees shall be required to verify the validity of the medical cannabis cards of purchasers through an online Medical Cannabis Registry Database to be established. Only a 30-day supply of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products shall be sold to a medical cannabis cardholder. Details of every sale shall be logged in the registry.

SB 3 proposes that licensed medical cannabis centers be permitted to sell medical cannabis and medical cannabis products such as waxes, resins, oils, concentrates, liquids, suspensions, capsules, tablets, lozenges, sublingual preparations, gelatinous formulations, transdermal patches, and topical preparations. Cannabis forms for inhalation, however, are not allowed for registered patients aged below 18.

The legalization of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis product retail selling to individuals aged 21 and above is proposed by HB 626 for NCDPS adult-use cannabis retail store license holders. Identity and age verification of purchasers through a government-issued document shall be required.

HB 626 asks that licensed adult-use cannabis retail stores be allowed to sell adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products such as extracts, concentrates, tinctures, edible goods, and ointments, among others. The possession limit of each individual aged 21 and above, in addition to homegrown plants, is comprised of the following:

• Cannabis concentrate: 15 grams
• Raw cannabis: 2 ounces
• Cannabis products: total tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content of 2,000 milligrams

Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Harnett County?

As of July 2023, cannabis delivery was not legal in Harnett County and the entire State of North Carolina.

SB 3 proposes that NCDHHS-licensed medical cannabis suppliers be allowed to deliver to medical cannabis cardholders their purchased medical cannabis and medical cannabis products.

HB 626 asks that holders of the NCDPS adult-use cannabis delivery service license be allowed to deliver to the homes of qualified consumers the adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products they purchased. Moreover, the Bill proposes that counties or municipalities that ban adult-use cannabis businesses shall not be allowed to ban the delivery of adult-use cannabis from other counties to their residents, or the passage of deliveries through their territories.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Harnett County

As of July 2023, the State of North Carolina was not issuing medical cannabis cards since medical cannabis had not been legalized.

The state program based on the Epilepsy Alternative Treatment Act, however, issues the NCDHHS Caregiver Registration letter which authorizes the holder to carry cannabis-derived hemp extracts for the treatment of patients with intractable epilepsy not responsive to other medications. A patient can only be referred to the program by a neurologist licensed to practice in the state. The cannabis-derived hemp extracts must have less than 0.9% THC content and 5% or higher cannabidiol (CBD) content by weight. The hemp extracts must be purchased from other states, though, since their sale is not legal within the State of North Carolina.

The patient’s caregiver must print and fill out the caregiver registration application and send it along with a copy of a valid government-issued ID to the following:

NC Epilepsy Alternative Treatment Registration

3008 Mail Service Center

Raleigh, NC 27699

The NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services will send the Caregiver Registration letter by mail.

Inquiries may be sent to the following:

North Carolina Drug Control Unit

984-236-5100

Office hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday to Friday

SB 3 proposes that a medical cannabis card be issued to patients and caregivers registered in the Medical Cannabis Registry Database. To register, a patient must be diagnosed and certified to have any of the following illnesses by a qualified physician:

• Severe or persistent nausea in bedridden or medically homebound patients
• AIDS
• Multiple sclerosis
• Terminal illness with life expectancy shorter than six months
• Epilepsy
• Parkinson's disease
• Sickle cell anemia
• Cancer
• Crohn's disease
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• HIV
• Illness requiring hospice care
• Cachexia
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
• Medical conditions to be added by the Compassionate Use Advisory Board

SB 3 defines a qualified physician as one who has passed a 10-hour course on prescribing medical cannabis and shall be required to take yearly supplementary studies. Compliance shall be ensured by the NCDHHS and the North Carolina Medical Board.

SB 3 states that patients below 18 shall be required to have at least one and up to two caregivers, one of whom must be the patient’s parent or legal guardian. Adult patients may also name up to two caregivers. Caregivers shall also be required to apply to the Medical Cannabis Registry Database.

How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Harnett County?

Since medical and adult-use cannabis was not legal in the State of North Carolina as of July 2023, there has been no impact on the economy of the state or Harnett County.

SB 3 proposes that if medical cannabis is legalized, licensed medical cannabis suppliers be required to pay the NCDHHS 10% of their medical cannabis and medical cannabis products gross sales monthly.

HB 626 proposes that purchasers of adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products be charged a cannabis excise tax equal to 30% of the item’s price. Municipalities shall also be allowed to levy on every purchaser a cannabis local option tax equal to 2% of the adult-use cannabis item’s price. None of these shall be imposed on medical cannabis and medical cannabis products.

The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Harnett County

Medical cannabis was not legal in Harnett County as of July 2023. Hence, there has been no effect on county crime rates.

As a baseline, data sent by the Harnett County Sheriff's Office to the Crime Explorer page of the FBI shows that in 2021, there were five marijuana possession arrests and four marijuana sales arrests, totaling nine marijuana offense arrests. In the same year, there were 10 DUI arrests.