When medical marijuana becomes available in West Virginia in another 17-months, you won’t see it in edible or smokable plant forms. Creams, oils and pills containing the substance, are the only options. That disappoints cancer survivor Rusty Williams, who says medical pot got him through chemotherapy.
“And within 30 seconds of one hit of cannabis, the vertigo and nausea would stop, completely. It would stop. And I was able to eat; I was able to sleep and I mean just it improved my overall quality of life,” said Rusty Williams, a cancer survivor.
Because of testimony like that, the State Senate in now considering revisions to the medical marijuana law. Those changes would allow individuals to grow 4-plants at home for medical use. They would also increase the number of marijuana dispensaries, beyond the cap of 35. And if approved, patients could smoke or eat their medical pot.
“And people that live in poverty, get cancer more than rich people, because rich people drink Evian and poor people drink from the tap. And I want to give those people who have 20-hour a week jobs, and things like that, the ability to grow medicine that can help them,” said State Sen. Richard Ojeda, (D) Logan.
But some are concerned it’s too early to change a law that hasn’t even gone into effect yet. Senator Greg Boso supports medicinal cannabis, but…
“We’ve got to make sure – that first of all – the program is in place and it’s operating, so that we have a track record to responsibly, know where we need to make changes,” said State Sen. Greg Boso, (R) Nicholas.
West Virginia medical cannabis is supposed to be available July 1st of 2019.
“The amended medical marijuana bill has now been assigned to Senate Committees for study. It could be several weeks before there is any debate or votes here on the Senate floor,” said Mark Curtis, 59 News Chief Political Reporter.
