Is Delta-9 Legal in North Carolina? Essential Cannabinoid Laws

Dave
December 10, 2024

Wanna get high in North Carolina? If we were there, we would too, man. Nothing against North Carolina…we just like getting high wherever we go, ya know?

Good news is, getting high in North Carolina is actually 100% legal, as long as you’re using hemp-derived products with less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. The 2018 Farm Bill set these limits on a federal level, but in 2022, the state doubled down on the ruling with Senate Bill 455. This bill permanently excluded hemp from the state list of controlled substances. Before these bills, hemp was only provisionally legal through the North Carolina Hemp Pilot Program. Gotta love progress, man.

Now, don’t get us wrong – recreational marijuana (you know, the stuff with more than 0.3% Delta-9 THC) is still illegal in North Carolina. But don’t let that fact get you down – Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) packs a punch even at legal concentrations, delivering that familiar high you’re looking for. And the best part? We’ll ship our premium Delta-9 gummies and hemp smokeables right to your door in North Carolina, no medical card needed.

Look, we get it – understanding state cannabis laws can be confusing as hell, especially when they keep changing. So let’s break down everything you need to know about Delta-9 in North Carolina, from what’s legal to where you can buy it (spoiler alert: we can help with that part).

Delta-9 Legality in North Carolina

Let’s start with the basics – what’s actually legal in North Carolina when it comes to Delta-9?

The short answer is that you can buy, possess, and enjoy hemp-derived Delta-9 products without worrying about the cops showing up at your door.

The longer answer? Well, there are some details you should probably know about.

Hemp-Derived Delta-9 Laws

Like we mentioned earlier, Senate Bill 455 keeps it pretty simple – hemp-derived cannabis products are good to go as long as they stay at or below that 0.3% Delta-9 THC mark.

And while that might sound like a tight leash, North Carolina state law is actually pretty hands-off when it comes to other hemp regulations – there aren’t even strict rules about age limits or testing requirements.

That’s why it’s super important to know your stuff and buy from brands that actually care about quality and safety.

Good thing we’ve got your back – every Cheech & Chong product goes through rigorous third-party lab testing to make sure you’re getting exactly what you paid for, nothing more and nothing less.

Medical Marijuana and Hemp Laws

Now, if you’re hoping to get your hands on medical marijuana in North Carolina, we’ve got some bad news – it’s not legal yet. The only exception is hemp extract for treating intractable epilepsy, but that’s a whole different story we’ll get into in a minute.

It’s not like they haven’t tried to legalize medical marijuana – North Carolina lawmakers have proposed bills several times, but so far none have made it across the finish line. The latest attempt was House Bill 563, which passed in the Senate on July 24, 2024, and is now waiting for the House to make their move. If it passes, this bill would bring in parts of the Compassionate Care Act, opening the door for folks with serious medical conditions like cancer, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease to finally get legal access to medical marijuana.

And remember that epilepsy exception we mentioned? That came from House Bill 766 back in 2015, which amended the North Carolina Epilepsy Alternative Treatment Act.

Basically, the bill gives patients with intractable epilepsy a chance to see if using hemp extract can help them, but only after they’ve tried other treatments without success.

And it’s not like it’s a free-for-all here – if you do get medical weed, it has to follow strict rules: less than 0.9% THC content, at least 5% CBD by weight, and absolutely no other psychoactive compounds allowed.

Tribal Member Exemption

If you’re familiar with the area, you might notice something interesting going on in Cherokee, North Carolina.

Since it’s a sovereign nation, they play by their own rules – including when it comes to cannabis.

On April 20, 2024 (yeah, pretty sure they picked that date on purpose), the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) made history by opening the first dispensary on tribal land for medical cannabis sales to tribe members.

They didn’t stop there either – by July 4, 2024, they expanded to adult-use sales for EBCI members and other federally recognized tribes, as long as you’re 21 or older.

While the rest of North Carolina is still waiting on both medical and recreational marijuana to become legal, the Cherokee nation is blazing its own path.

The Legality of Other Cannabinoids in North Carolina

When it comes to other cannabinoids, North Carolina keeps it simple – if it’s not specifically banned and stays at or below 0.3% Delta-9 THC concentration, you can buy it legally. And trust us, there are plenty of options out there.

Some of the most popular choices are:

CBD: Even though cannabidiol (CBD) can’t get you high, there’s a lot that it can do. People use CBD products for everything from helping with stress and sleeping easier, to just feeling better overall.
Delta-8 THC and Delta-10 THC: In the past decade or so, both Delta-8 and Delta-10 have seen a massive increase in popularity. These cannabinoids will definitely get you high, but not quite as intensely as Delta-9.
THCa: By itself, THCa won’t get you high at all. But heat it up either in a joint or in a vape, (or, in the oven! Maybe you want some brownies…), and it transforms into Delta-9, giving you that classic cannabis experience you’re looking for.

The Future of Delta-9 Legislation in North Carolina

We can’t tell the future for sure (and if we could, we’d be using that power for other things anyway), but we do know what might happen in the future for North Carolina’s cannabis laws.

Right now, the state pretty much follows federal guidelines, and since there aren’t many state regulations, most shops just make their own rules.

But pending legislation like House Bill 563 could upend that and lead to stricter regulations like:

Age restrictions: The bill proposes that you would need to be at least 21 years old to purchase or possess any hemp products (Section 18D-102).
Potency restrictions: Delta-9 THC products would max out at 25mg per serving for edibles and gummies, 10mg per serving for drinks (with a 100mg cap per package), and 3ml for anything you inhale. (Sections 18D-105)
Substance restrictions: If HB 563 passes, kratom, xylazine, and tianeptine will become controlled substances.

Can You Get in Trouble for Possessing Delta-9 in North Carolina?

If you scrolled straight to this section to figure out how much trouble you could get in… first of all, we respect your priorities.

Second, you can have as much hemp-derived cannabis on you as you can hold, and as long as it’s got less than 0.3% Delta-9 you’re completely in the clear.

But anything, and we do mean anything, over 0.3% and you’re in trouble. (Well, technically you’re only in trouble IF you get caught, but why risk it when the legal stuff is just as good?)

Based on G.S. 90-95(d)(4), getting caught with illegal cannabis in North Carolina will come with different penalties based on how much you have:

Half an ounce or less: Class 3 misdemeanor with up to a $200 fine, but no jail time. (per G.S. 15A-1340.23(b))
Half an ounce to ounce-and-a-half: Now it’s a Class 1 misdemeanor – up to 120 days in court and fines at the judge’s discretion.
Over an ounce-and-a-half: Gets you a Class 1 felony, with penalties varying based on your record (per G.S. 15A‑1340.17).

Again, if you don’t want to worry about any of this, we recommend just trying out our THCa flower or THC edibles, since they’re legal THC products and have the exact same stuff in them.

But a little word of caution…Even with our legal products, you should DEFINITELY keep the packaging on you whenever you light up.

Cops in North Carolina can stop you just for smelling cannabis. Since legal hemp and illegal weed smell exactly the same, having your legal products original packaging helps you prove it’s legal. Trust us on this one.

Where Can You Buy Delta-9 in North Carolina?

The good news is, it’s 2024 and you don’t need to find a sketchy dealer to get your hands on the good stuff. You can grab legal Delta-9 and hemp products at stores throughout North Carolina. (Think head shops and convenience stores.)

Or skip the trip and let us ship our premium Delta-9 gummies and hemp products right to your door.

Just make sure whatever Delta-9 products you buy come with a certificate of analysis (COA). This shows a third-party lab verified the Delta-9 levels are legal and confirmed there’s nothing sketchy mixed in.