North Carolina 2025 Session Status: In Committee Bipartisan · 10 D · 1 R cosponsors

HB 984 — Regulate Research of Medical Cannabis.

Last action — Passed 1st Reading

Track this bill free

No card. One bill, free forever — alerts when it moves.

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed House
  4. 4
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced April 10, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the House.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 11 sponsors

    3 primary, 8 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (10 D · 1 R) — cross-party backing.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

95 added · 94 removed

Plain-language change summary

The updated version of Bill HB 984 introduces new language to better define the scope of cannabis research in North Carolina by establishing the **Cannabis Treatment Research Act**. It emphasizes the regulation of cannabis as a potential medical treatment and clarifies definitions related to cannabis and caregivers. This change matters because it lays the groundwork for future research that could lead to legitimate medical uses for cannabis, which may ultimately benefit patients seeking alternative treatment options.

→
Previous
Latest
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA H.B.
GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA SESSION 2025 H 1 HOUSE BILL 984 Short Title:
984 Apr 10, 2025 SESSION 2025 HOUSE PRINCIPAL CLERK H D HOUSE BILL DRH10361-NL-72B Short Title:
Representative Belk.
Representatives Belk, Reives, Cervania, and Greenfield (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT PERMITTING CANNABIS MEDICAL RESEARCH STUDIES.
Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House April 14, 2025 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT PERMITTING CANNABIS MEDICAL RESEARCH STUDIES.
(d) Any individual who possesses or uses hemp extract, cannabis, as defined under this section, shall dispose of all residual oil fromthe extract anyunused portions at asecure collection box managed by a law enforcement agency.
(d) Any individual who possesses or uses hemp extract, cannabis, as defined under this section, shall dispose of all residual oil fromthe extract anyunused portions at asecure collection *H984-v-1* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 box managed by a law enforcement agency.
No criminal penalty shall attach for any violation of this subsection." *DRH10361-NL-72B* General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 SECTION 2.
No criminal penalty shall attach for any violation of this subsection." SECTION 2.
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new Article to read:
Chapter 90 of the General Statutes is amended byadding a new Article to read:
(b) It is the responsibility of the institution conducting the research study to update the Department if caregiver or patient contact information changes.
Page 2 House Bill 984-First Edition General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (b) It is the responsibility of the institution conducting the research study to update the Department if caregiver or patient contact information changes.
Page 2 DRH10361-NL-72B General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025 (a) On a case-by-case basis, research institutions may approve of dispensation to a registered caregiver, as approved by this Article, cannabis acquired from another jurisdiction.
(a) On a case-by-case basis, research institutions may approve of dispensation to a registered caregiver, as approved by this Article, cannabis acquired from another jurisdiction.
90-113.162 shall not be subject to arrest or prosecution, or penalized in any manner, or denied any right or privilege for researching the use of cannabis or providing written certification for the use of cannabis pursuant to this section." SECTION 3.
90-113.162 shall not be subject to arrest or prosecution, or penalized in any manner, or denied anyright or privilege for researching the use of cannabis or providingwritten certification for the use of cannabis pursuant to this section." SECTION 3.
DRH10361-NL-72B Page 3
House Bill 984-First Edition Page 3
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (2)

How this bill changes current law

10 changes Share ↗

Compared against the N.C. General Statutes as published AI-generated reading aid — verify against the official bill.

The bill adds regulations for the research and medical use of cannabis, modifying existing laws regarding hemp extract.

  • G.S. 90-94.1

    hemp extract → hemp extract, cannabis

    The term 'hemp extract' is expanded to include 'cannabis'.

  • G.S. 90-94.1

    possesses or uses the hemp extract only to treat intractable epilepsy, as defined in G.S. 90-113.101. → possesses or uses the hemp extract, cannabis as a participant in a registered research study, as defined in G.S. 90-113.161, if the quantity of usable cannabis possessed does not exceed an adequate supply, as determined by the institution conducting the research study.

    Individuals may now use cannabis as part of a registered research study instead of only for treating intractable epilepsy.

  • G.S. 90-94.1

    cannabis, a written certification, as defined in G.S. 90-113.161. → a certificate of analysis that indicates the hemp extract's ingredients, including its percentages of tetrahydrocannabinol and cannabidiol by weight.

    Individuals must now possess a written certification when using cannabis for research studies.

  • G.S. 90-94.1

    the person if the individual is the person's caregiver, as defined in G.S. 90-113.101. → the person if the individual is the person's caregiver, as defined in G.S. 90-113.101.G.S. 90-113.161.

    The definition of caregiver is updated to reflect the new research context.

  • G.S. 90-94.1

    the extract → any unused portions

    Clarifies the disposal requirements for unused portions of cannabis.

  • Chapter 90 is amended by adding a new Article to read: 'Article 5I. Cannabis Treatment Research Act.'

    Establishes a new legal framework for cannabis treatment research in North Carolina.

  • '§ 90-113.161. Definitions.'... (1) Cannabis. – Has the same meaning as 'marijuana' in G.S. 90-87 and refers to quantities of 1.5 ounces or less.

    Defines cannabis in the context of medical research.

  • '§ 90-113.162. Cannabis Treatment Research database; departmental duties.'

    Creates a registry for participants in cannabis research.

  • '§ 90-113.163. Immunity for institutions; confidentiality.'

    Provides legal protections for research institutions involved in cannabis research.

  • '§ 90-113.164. North Carolina Cannabis Research Program.'

    Establishes guidelines for cannabis research programs.

Action History

  1. Passed 1st Reading

  2. Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House

  3. Filed

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

3 sponsors · 8 co-sponsors · 168 not signed on

Sponsors (3)

Co-sponsors (8)

Not signed on (168)

168 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 168 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

healthcare technology
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 984?
HB 984 is sponsored by Phil Rubin (Democratic), Marcia Morey (Democratic), Pricey Harrison (Democratic), Mike Colvin (Democratic), Deb Butler (Democratic), Cynthia Ball (Democratic), Julia Greenfield (Democratic), Maria Cervania (Democratic), Robert T. Reives, II (Democratic), Mary Belk (Democratic), and Neal Jackson (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 984?
This bill is in committee in the House. Introduced April 10, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track HB 984?
Track HB 984 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 984

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 984

Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →