CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) – The West Virginia Senate on Wednesday approved medical marijuana use with a doctor’s guidance.
It is intended for patients with certain debilitating conditions. SB 386, the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, is sponsored by Sen. Richard Ojeda, D-Logan.
Under the bill, a 16-member medical cannabis commission would oversee the program. That commission would include medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and government agency representatives, to establish and oversee a state medical marijuana program.
The bill will now be considered in the House of Delegates, where a similar measure stalled in committee earlier this year.
"We applaud the Senate for standing up for seriously ill West Virginians and giving them hope with this much-needed legislation,” said Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project, who is a West Virginia native and graduate of West Virginia University, in a news release. “For many patients, medical marijuana is a far safer alternative to opioids and other prescription drugs. Any delegates who are serious about addressing the opiate crisis in West Virginia need to consider the substantial benefits this law could have on that front. We hope Speaker Armstead will review the facts and give this bill a fair shake in the House.”
A review of more than 10,000 scientific abstracts
released in January by the National Academies of Sciences found
“conclusive or substantial evidence” that cannabis is effective in the
treatment of chronic pain. A study published this year in International
Journal of Drug Policy found marijuana is an effective replacement for
opioids to treat severe pain.
“Thousands of seriously ill West Virginians are anxiously waiting for their lawmakers to do the right thing and pass this bill,” Simon said. “They shouldn’t have to suffer or be treated like criminals while patients in 28 other states can legally access medical marijuana.”
Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have enacted effective medical marijuana laws and 16 states have adopted medical marijuana laws that are ineffective because they are either unworkable or exceptionally restrictive. West Virginia is one of only six states in the nation that has not adopted any form of medical marijuana law.
It is intended for patients with certain debilitating conditions. SB 386, the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, is sponsored by Sen. Richard Ojeda, D-Logan.
Under the bill, a 16-member medical cannabis commission would oversee the program. That commission would include medical professionals, law enforcement officials, and government agency representatives, to establish and oversee a state medical marijuana program.
The bill will now be considered in the House of Delegates, where a similar measure stalled in committee earlier this year.
"We applaud the Senate for standing up for seriously ill West Virginians and giving them hope with this much-needed legislation,” said Matt Simon of the Marijuana Policy Project, who is a West Virginia native and graduate of West Virginia University, in a news release. “For many patients, medical marijuana is a far safer alternative to opioids and other prescription drugs. Any delegates who are serious about addressing the opiate crisis in West Virginia need to consider the substantial benefits this law could have on that front. We hope Speaker Armstead will review the facts and give this bill a fair shake in the House.”
“Thousands of seriously ill West Virginians are anxiously waiting for their lawmakers to do the right thing and pass this bill,” Simon said. “They shouldn’t have to suffer or be treated like criminals while patients in 28 other states can legally access medical marijuana.”
Twenty-eight states and the District of Columbia have enacted effective medical marijuana laws and 16 states have adopted medical marijuana laws that are ineffective because they are either unworkable or exceptionally restrictive. West Virginia is one of only six states in the nation that has not adopted any form of medical marijuana law.
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