West Virginia has become the 29th state to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes, but state residents won’t begin feeling the effect until July 1, 2019, when the first patient identification cards will be issued.

Senate Bill 386 authorizes, “under limited conditions, the use, possession, growing, processing and dispensing of cannabis for serious medical conditions,” such as the following:

A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition that results in the patient receiving hospice or palliative care

A chronic or debilitating disease or medical condition, or the treatment of such, that produces the following: Anorexia, cachexia, or wasting syndrome Seizures Severe or persistent muscle spasms Severe nausea Severe or chronic pain that isn’t relieved by standard pain medication



The act specifically identifies numerous conditions that could benefit from marijuana treatment, including AIDS, cancer, epilepsy, and Parkinson’s disease. A newly created Medical Cannabis Advisory Board is also authorized to approve treatment of additional conditions or symptoms that other medical treatments have failed if “the symptoms reasonably can be expected to be relieved by the medical use of cannabis.”