CHARLOTTE, N.C. (QUEEN CITY NEWS) – It’s the third version of a North Carolina medical marijuana bill Lorenzo McNulty has seen. It’s also the version that has given him the most hope to pass the House and Senate.
“I say extremely confident because a lot of the things regarding health and safety that are now written in the bill,” added McNulty, who is the owner of McNulty Manor Cannabis Company. “We were already doing, uh, you know, that’s a standard of our company anyway.
McNulty has been in the hemp business for the last six years and plans to be one of the companies applying to be a medical marijuana supplier if the legislation passes in Raliegh.
The fees to obtain a license are steep.
“That means to file the application, to throw your name in the hat, $50,000.”
Then it is an additional $5,000 for each location that will sell medical cannabis, and every employee who is working for the company needs a license as well. That’s $250 dollars a person. Not to mention the equipment and set up cost. McNulty feels there may be companies forming partnerships because the price will be extremely high for suppliers
“You’ll have a license to cultivate, you’ll have a license to transport it,” said McNulty. “You’ll have a license to retail. It doesn’t mean that you specifically have to have that license. So, it opens up that opportunity for, if you specialize in transport, I need transportation from my cultivation facility.”
There is still a lot to hammer out before the bill crosses the finish line, but suppliers say they are watching and ready.
Typically, the bill dies in the House but with more state representatives in favor of passing medical marijuana, McNulty and others say they are staying ready, so they don’t need to get ready if lawmakers allow them to sell.
I think it’s got a really good chance with that subtle shift that we were kind of talking about in the House,” says McNulty. “And we’ve got an advocate as a Speaker. I’m going to go ahead and assume he’s an advocate. They’ve gotten better with each bill.
