On Wednesday, a Senate committee adopted bipartisan legislation that establishes a patient, manufacturing, licensing, and sales structure for medical marijuana usage in North Carolina, clearing the first major hurdle.

The measure to legalize marijuana for the relief of pain and nausea linked with a variety of ailments and disorders was approved by a majority of members of the judicial committee on a voice vote. Some advocates claim that using cannabis can help them cope with their illnesses.

Sen. Bill Rabon, a Brunswick County Republican and cancer survivor, said the bill is about providing “some compassionate care for certain conditions, to those folks in North Carolina who need it, and to make them law-abiding citizens if they choose to be.” “In any way we can, we must compassionately care for our fellow man.”

Before reaching the Senate floor, the bill must first pass through three committees and then be examined by the House. However, Wednesday's vote demonstrates that, after a decade of failure, support for legalizing marijuana in some form is growing, reflecting a national trend toward its acceptability.

In North Carolina, industrial hemp can be produced, and goods containing compounds derived from cannabis that contain very low levels of the component that causes a high are legal to sell. North Carolina is one of 14 states that prohibits the use of cannabis for medical purposes. In May, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians' leadership council decided to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana for therapeutic use on tribe territories.