Cannabis in West Virginia

Governor Jim Justice signs the Medical Cannabis Act on April 19, 2017.

Cannabis in West Virginia is illegal for recreational use, but decriminalized in the city of Charleston and partially decriminalized in the city of Morgantown.[1] Possession of small amounts is a misdemeanor crime.[2] Medical use was legalized in 2017 through legislation signed by Governor Jim Justice.

## Medical cannabis

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Medical cannabis bills were introduced in West Virginia in each year between 2010 and 2015,[3] when Senate Bill 546 and House Bill 2909 sought to legalize cannabis for medical use, but failed to advance prior to the end of the legislative session on March 14.[4]

In 2017, Senate Bill 386 was passed, legalizing medical cannabis for specific chronic medical conditions via pill, oil, topical form, including gels, creams, and ointments, tincture, liquid, and dermal patch. Governor Justice signed it into law on April 19, 2017, and it went into effect in July 2018.[5][6] However, the WV DHHR states that it wasn't until July 1, 2019, that effects of the law allowed the state to "issue the patient and caregiver identification cards necessary to obtain medical cannabis." SB 339, passed and signed into law by Gov. Justice in 2020, permitted the sale of medical cannabis in dry leaf and plant form for vaporization. The sale of commercially produced medical cannabis edibles remains prohibited under state law. Under state law, registered medical cannabis patients may possess a 30-day supply of medical cannabis, defined as six ounces per 30 day period.

Up to 100 dispensary licenses, 10 processor licenses, and 10 grower licenses can be issued under state law. The state's first medical cannabis dispensary, Trulieve, on Earl L. Core Road in Morgantown, opened in November 2021. As of May 2025, there are 65 active dispensaries, 9 active processors, and 9 active growers licensed by the Office of Medical Cannabis.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ West Virginia Local Decriminalization
2. ^ West Virginia Laws & Penalties
3. ^ "Parkersburg officials not interested in marijuana decriminalization". Parkersburg News and Sentinel. August 15, 2015. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
4. ^ Madalyn LaMastro; Nick Villano; Steven Laks; Samantha Valentine (April 29, 2015). "Despite new highs, medical Marijuana doesn't pass in West Virginia — this year". The Exponent Telegram. Retrieved August 27, 2015.
5. ^ "Senate passes medical marijuana bill". West Virginia MetroNews Network. Retrieved March 31, 2017.
6. ^ "WV governor signs medical marijuana into law". Charleston Gazette-Mail. Retrieved April 20, 2017.

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Cannabis in the United States

Federal law|

| Laws and bills|

* Marihuana Tax Act of 1937
* Controlled Substances Act (1970)
* Solomon–Lautenberg amendment (1990)
* Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act (2011)
* Cole Memorandum (2013)
* Rohrabacher–Farr amendment (2014)
* STATES Act (2018)
* Marijuana Justice Act (2019)
* Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act (2019)
* SAFE Banking Act (2019)
* MORE Act (2019)
* Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (2022)
* Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act (2022)

|

Court cases|

* Leary v. United States (1969)
* Ravin v. State (1975)
* Conant v. Walters (2000)
* United States v. Oakland Cannabis Buyers' Cooperative (2001)
* Gonzales v. Raich (2005)
* Moncrieffe v. Holder (2013)
* Americans for Safe Access v. Drug Enforcement Administration (2013)

Legality by
jurisdiction|

| Recreational use|

* Alaska
* Arizona
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Illinois
* Maine
* Maryland
* Massachusetts
* Michigan
* Minnesota
* Missouri
* Montana
* Nevada
* New Jersey
* New Mexico
* New York
* Ohio
* Oregon
* Rhode Island
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* U.S. Virgin Islands
* District of Columbia

|

Medical use|

* Alabama
* Arkansas
* Florida
* Hawaii
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Mississippi
* Nebraska
* New Hampshire
* North Dakota
* Oklahoma
* Pennsylvania
* South Dakota
* Utah
* West Virginia
* Puerto Rico

Decriminalized|

* Hawaii
* Louisiana
* Mississippi
* New Hampshire
* North Carolina
* North Dakota

Illegal|

* Georgia
* Idaho
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* South Carolina
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming
* American Samoa

Regulation|

* List of United States cannabis regulatory agencies
* Cannabis product testing
* Rescheduling

Related|

* Timeline
* Congressional Cannabis Caucus
* Politicians who have admitted use
* Cannabis on American Indian reservations
* Cannabis and the U.S. military
* Marijuana Policy Project
* NORML
* Harry J. Anslinger
* Dispensaries

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United States

States|

* Alabama
* Alaska
* Arizona
* Arkansas
* California
* Colorado
* Connecticut
* Delaware
* Florida
* Georgia
* Hawaii
* Idaho
* Illinois
* Indiana
* Iowa
* Kansas
* Kentucky
* Louisiana
* Maine
* Maryland
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* Minnesota
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* Nevada
* New Hampshire
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* New Mexico
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* Ohio
* Oklahoma
* Oregon
* Pennsylvania
* Rhode Island
* South Carolina
* South Dakota
* Tennessee
* Texas
* Utah
* Vermont
* Virginia
* Washington
* West Virginia
* Wisconsin
* Wyoming

Federal district|

Washington, D.C.

Territories|

* American Samoa
* Guam
* Northern Mariana Islands
* Puerto Rico
* U.S. Virgin Islands

Outlying islands|

* Baker Island
* Howland Island
* Jarvis Island
* Johnston Atoll
* Kingman Reef
* Midway Atoll
* Navassa Island
* Palmyra Atoll
* Wake Island

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