NC medical marijuana bill goes to House with final Senate OK: Wednesday, June 8

Legislation making it lawful to smoke marijuana or consume cannabis-infused products for medical purposes in North Carolina cleared the state Senate on Monday evening.

After no debate, the measure received bipartisan support by a vote of 36-7. The margin was similar to the outcome of an initial Senate vote last week that followed floor discussion. The bill now goes to the House, where chances for passage before this year's primary work session adjourns in a few weeks appear long. Speaker Tim Moore has said the issue may have to wait until next year.

The legislation creates a system whereby someone with one of more than a dozen “debilitating medical conditions” — cancer, HIV/AIDS, epilepsy and post-traumatic stress disorder among them — can be prescribed cannabis by a trained physician. Users or their caregivers would have to receive a registration card from the state Department of Health and Human Services.

A new state commission would issue 10 medical cannabis supplier licenses, each of which could open up to eight sales centers. Up to five independent testing labs would be licensed to scrutinize the pot and related-products sold. It would still be awhile before sales occur under the bill given required rule-making and licensing.

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/politics/north-carolina-politics/nc-medical-marijuana-bill-house-senate-ok/275-60b786de-cd76-4782-bfce-b84fc9ccf44f

American adults who haven’t yet gotten vaccinated against COVID-19 may soon get another choice, as advisers to the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday backed a more traditional type of shot.

Next, the FDA must decide whether to authorize the vaccine made by latecomer Novavax, a protein vaccine that's made with a more conventional technology than today's U.S. options.

Novavax shots are already used in Australia, Canada, parts of Europe and dozens of other countries. But U.S. clearance is a key hurdle for the Maryland-based company.

FDA's vaccine chief Dr. Peter Marks said another choice in the U.S. may entice at least some vaccine holdouts -- whatever their reason -- to consider rolling up their sleeves.

“We do have a problem with vaccine uptake that is very serious in the United States," Marks said. "Anything we can do to get people more comfortable to accept these potentially life-saving products is something that we feel we are compelled to do.”

READ MORE: https://www.wcnc.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/fda-advisers-back-novavax-covid-19-shots/507-a2508a24-4476-4764-a52b-3465549b373a

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