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Ashley Slimak

West Virginia Medical Marijuana Program: Things To Know

Updated: Nov 1, 2023


things to know about west virginia medical marijuana program

With the passage of Senate Bill 386 in April of 2017, medical marijuana became legal in West Virginia. Nearly four years later, the state program is finally up and running as patients with a qualifying condition can now obtain their medical marijuana card. Let’s take a look at the current state of West Virginia’s medical marijuana program and things you should know.


Qualifying For Medical Marijuana in West Virginia

In order to qualify for medical marijuana treatment, individuals must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition. West Virginia law defines a qualifying condition as one of the following:

  • Cancer

  • HIV/AIDS

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)

  • Parkinson’s disease

  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)

  • Damage to the nervous tissue of the spinal cord with objective neurological indication of intractable spasticity.

  • Epilepsy

  • Neuropathies

  • Huntington’s disease

  • Crohn’s disease

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

  • Intractable seizures

  • Sickle cell anemia

  • Severe chronic or intractable pain of neuropathic origin or severe chronic or intractable pain

  • Terminal illness (defined as a medical prognosis of life expectancy of approximately one year or less if the illness runs its normal course.)


Patients must also have medical records documenting their medical condition. This will help the doctor review the patient's medical history and previous treatment options before writing a recommendation for medical marijuana treatment.


West Virginia Medical Marijuana Patient Registry

On February 3, the Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) opened their registration so qualifying patients were able to begin registering for their card.


Patients who receive a written recommendation from a certified physician for medical marijuana treatment are required to submit their document, along with an application fee to the state.


Once approved, the DHHR will send patients a copy of their medical marijuana ID card. This process can take up to a few days so allow time for your application to be approved. In West Virginia, patients will need to annually renew their card by meeting with a licensed doctor again.


West Virginia Medical Marijuana Dispensaries

As of today, there are no dispensaries open in West Virginia. However, the DHHR has released a list of companies that are permitted to operate dispensaries in West Virginia. Currently, 100 businesses hold permits to operate a shop in cities across the state such as Morgantown, Bridgeport, Fairmont, Weston and more. A full list of permit holders can be viewed here.


Once dispensaries open, qualified patients who have their medical marijuana card will be able to visit and purchase products including pills, oils, dermal patches, topicals and a form of cannabis that can be vaporized.


If you are interested in getting your West Virginia medical marijuana card, we are here to help! Give us a call today at (877) 303-8424 to learn more about the process or schedule an appointment.

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