Last Wednesday June 12, North Carolina legislators discussed several matters pertaining to drug-use, including a Senate committee agreeing to rules for hemp-derived consumables and House members seeking a reduction on the unauthorized sale and use of “gas station heroin,” officially known as tianeptine.
The state House moved forward a set of proposed legislation which would make unauthorized possession and usage of the opioid-adjacent drug a felony. Simple possession would generally be labeled a Class I misdemeanor, legislative staff have stated.
According to the FDA, tianeptine is not approved by the US government for any medical use, as the substance mimics opioids in large enough concentrations and can cause similar symptoms as a result, including addiction. In smaller doses closer to what is approved of in other countries, tianeptine can still cause unwanted side effects and has caused people to react poorly to it. Despite these risks, tianeptine can be found in many public spaces as dietary supplements, including gas stations, smoke shops, and online stores.
At least 11 states have banned the substance, and a House committee which met last winter to discuss drug abuse has recommended the same for North Carolina.
House bill 903 places tianeptine on a list alongside fentanyl, codeine, oxycodone and dozens of other drugs as Schedule II controlled substances to further control and stymie the drug’s spread. Individuals like the Christian Action League’s executive director Mark Creech lauded the move, noting how placing the substance on government-mandated lists will ensure law enforcement have a “clear legal framework to address illegal possession and distribution.”
The bill moved through two House committees June 12 without opposition and are now on their way to a vote at the full House. Were the House to pass the bill, it would then go to the Senate for further consideration.
In the Senate Judiciary committee, Raleigh-based co-owner of a THC-infused beverage business Reilly Thomas Dunn thanked the committee alongside his wife for considering a House bill regulating consumables containing THC from hemp.
“I’m not a lawyer or a lobbyist,” he said. “I’m just a guy who discovered that you can drink THC instead of alcohol.” “We have been asking for regulation in this space for a really long time because when we do this thing right, it is going to be a huge industry for North Carolina.” He also stated his customers include veterans, believers, and young families.
The bill would set a limit on the amount of THC from hemp consumables like gummies, beverages, and other products could contain. It would also prohibit sales of said products to persons younger than 21, as well as their distribution via samples in places like parks and public streets. Individuals 21 and older will be required to show a sufficient ID to purchase these consumables.
Bill 903 also regulates products containing kratom, the leaves of a tropical tree, which can likewise work as a sedative like THC. Products containing kratom and/or THC would be banned from school grounds.
In this most recent version of the bill, the Senate added a section detailing a “death by distribution” charge which holds sellers of tianeptine responsible for the user’s death should the tianeptine be responsible.
