West Virginia weed Archives

West Virginia Medical Marijuana Legalization Bill Approved by Legislature, Governor Expected to Sign

April 6, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

West Virginia’s legislature has approved a bill that would make West Virginia the 29th state to adopt an comprehensive medical marijuana law. Governor Jim Justice is expected to sign it into law.

Senate Bill 386 received final approval in the West Virginia Legislature on Thursday and is headed to the desk of Governor Jim Justice. Justice has publicly expressed support for legal access to medical marijuana and is expected to sign the bill into law.

Senate Bill 386, introduced by Sen. Richard Ojeda (D-Logan), received initial approval from the Senate last week (28-6). The House substantially amended the bill before approving it on Tuesday (76-24). The Senate passed the new version on concurrence Wednesday afternoon (28-6), along with some minor amendments, and the House signed off on the final version Thursday (74-24).

West Virginia House Approves Amended Medical Marijuana Bill

April 3, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

An amended version of a medical marijuana legalization bill that recently passed West Virginia’s Senate has received approval from the House of Delegates.

An amended version of Senate Bill 386 was passed by the House of Delegates today through its second reading. The measure recently passed the full Senate with a 28 to 6 vote. It will now need to be passed through one more reading in the House, before being sent back to the Senate now that it’s been amended. If it passes the Senate again it will go to the desk of Governor Jim Justice, who is supportive of medical cannabis.

Initially, the measure would have legalized medical cannabis for those with a qualifying condition who receive a recommendation from a physician and register with the state. The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Commission would have been established to oversee a system of licensed and regulated medical cannabis dispensaries, which would have been supplied by cannabis cultivation centers.

West Virginia House Gives Initial Approval to Medical Cannabis Legalization, Governor in Support

March 30, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

A bill to legalize medical marijuana was given initial approval today by the West Virginia House of Delegates.

In a rare procedural move, the House of Delegates voted 54 to 40 today to bypass the committee process and bring Senate Bill 386 directly to the floor of the House. The vote comes just a day after the measure was passed by the state’s full Senate with a 28 to 6 vote.

A second reading of the bill is planned for tomorrow. If approved through its second reading, the measure will need to be passed through one more vote in the House before being sent to Governor Jim Justice for consideration; Governor Justice says he supports medical cannabis, and is likely to sign it into law if it reaches his desk.