When I began the Change is Coming movement in 2020, the goal was to tear down the wall forcing cannabis users to die in the dark and allow them to finally grow in the light. In 2021, a few bricks fell with the introduction of SB711, The Compassionate Care Act. When it passed the Senate that same year, a glimmer of light came through, but was quickly bricked back up by the North Carolina House.
In 2023, hopes were raised again when SB711 was renamed SB3 and passed the Senate a second time. The NC House, brick and mortar in hand, snuffed out the light once more by letting the bill die a second time.
Throughout this fight, “Hold Fast NC, Change is Coming” was the movement’s mantra. Thanks to the compassion of the EBCI, this month I finally changed that mantra to “Hold Fast NC, Change Has Come.” The announcement of the 4/20 dispensary opening was the final blow needed to bring the wall crumbling down, and we got to feel the sunlight on our face again.
Since the announcement, hundreds of North Carolina residents have contacted me. From couples planning a weekend getaway to busloads of cannabis consumers ready for a day trip. I am looking forward to a sea of familiar faces this 4/20 at the Great Smoky Mountain Cannabis Dispensary, and Hold Fast NC, Change Has Come.
Signed,
Chris Suttle
Chapel Hill, N.C.
