New Senate Bill Passed With Proposed Changes to WV Medical Marijuana Program

The West Virginia Senate recently passed a bill, Senate Bill 752, that could allow patients in the medical marijuana program to use cannabis flower and edibles.

West Virginia's medical marijuana law passed in 2017, although it has yet to be implemented. The law initially allowed qualifying patients to only use cannabis in the forms of oils, topicals, capsules, tinctures, dermal patches and vaporization (excluding dry leaf or plant form).

Senate Bill 752 not only would allow for new methods of consumption but also authorizes the commissioner of the Bureau for Public Health to add additional medical conditions to the already existing 15 conditions that qualify for medical marijuana treatment in West Virginia.

The bill also included the following additional requirements:

• Owners and employees of medical marijuana businesses must take an eight-hour training course

• Defines that unlawful medical marijuana use is subject to the criminal code

• Pricing of medical marijuana will be monitored by the state Department of Revenue Tax Division

• States that specific public officials and members of their family are not able to own or operate medical marijuana organizations

30 senators voted yes and four senators voted no to Senate Bill 752 and it now has to go through the House of Delegates for approval.