RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina needs to place stricter regulations on intoxicating cannabis to protect adult consumers while making it harder for minors to buy, Gov. Josh Stein said Tuesday in an exclusive interview with WCNC Charlotte’s content partner WRAL. He’s also considering steps to erase some people’s criminal records for minor marijuana offenses, calling them a “barrier for people’s successful participation in life.”

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Stein said he plans to tackle those issues and more by launching a new advisory council made up of law enforcement officials, bipartisan lawmakers, health experts, farming interests and others. Together, he said, they’ll explore what the state’s policy should be on products that contain cannabis. Stein said he’s personally in favor of marijuana legalization, but that he wants to hear more from the people on that new council on what direction they think the state should go in.

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