The West Virginia Senate has approved a medical cannabis reform bill that grants access to flower and edibles for the state’s patients, WV News reports. The measure, approved 30-4, includes the flower and edible provisions despite language allowing such products being stripped from the bill by the chamber’s Judiciary Committee; the amended version passed by the Senate did not include home grow, which was included in the original version of the bill.
The measure also authorizes the Bureau for Public Health commissioner to approve additional forms of medical cannabis available in the state’s medical cannabis program – which has yet to roll out – and additions to the qualifying conditions list based on recommendations of the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board. The measure would also remove the requirement for a training course for physicians, opting instead for an eight-hour training course for industry owners and employees and clarifies that unlawful use of medical cannabis is subject to the criminal code relating to cannabis.
The bill also tasks the Tax Division of the state Department of Revenue with monitoring medical cannabis pricing and sets rules to allow accredited colleges, universities and medical schools to conduct medical cannabis research.
The legislation, which still requires House approval, also bars some public officials and their family members from owning or operating medical cannabis companies.
Medical cannabis was legalized in West Virginia in 2017 but has not been rolled out in earnest yet, partly due to officials’ desire to secure banking options for cannabis businesses in the state. Officials only began accepting applications for industry operators in December.
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