CHARLESTON, W.Va. — West Virginia legislators may take up a bill relating to the state’s medical marijuana law that would remove caps for licenses on processors, dispensaries and growers, two lawmakers told the Medical Cannabis Advisory Board Tuesday.
Sen. Ron Stollings, D-Boone, and Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha, spoke about issues they think may come up in this legislative session, including a bill to allow “vertical integration” of licenses. This would allow a person to have a license in two or more areas where they could be growers and processors, processors and dispensaries or all three.
Pushkin said this is an idea that Republicans have mentioned an interest in, too.
“What we’ve found in other states is it’s hard to just be a dispensary,” Pushkin later added. “To have a sustainable business, you have to have another one of those licenses.”
Pushkin sponsored House Bill 4159 last month to remove the maximum number of growers, processors and dispensary permits and remove the requirement that licenses be limited in regions of the state. Some Republicans have signed on as sponsors to this bill, including delegates Mark Dean, R-Mingo; S. Marshall Wilson, R-Berkeley; Michael Folk, R-Berkeley; Tony Paynter, R-Wyoming; and Pat McGeehan, R-Hancock.
The bill would take out the regional requirement. Under current law, the bureau shall establish a minimum of three regions for the purpose of granting permits to growers, processors and dispensaries. The bill also would take out the cap of 10 growers, 10 processors and 30 dispensaries.
The bill currently is pending before the House Committee on Health and Human Resources.
Members also asked about concerns they’ve heard from physicians about their Drug Enforcement Administration license being in jeopardy. Stollings said physicians would certify that a patient has a disease, not write a prescription for medical marijuana.
There also was debate on the requirement to have a pharmacist present at a dispensary. Members of the committee said there has been an effort to remove that requirement because there is a concern that this would be in violation of federal law and pharmacists could lose their license.
“There should be a level of participation by the physicians in the care of their patients, regardless of whether the patient is using medical cannabis or not,” he said. “We take an oath to protect patients. We have to work in the medical community to encourage the medical community to be part of that care just like we do for everything else.”
Several pharmacists in attendance speaking in the public comment section voiced concerns about taking pharmacists out of the dispensaries, saying the people at dispensaries may not know about drug interactions.
Gupta announced the committee will meet again at 2 p.m. Feb. 20 to vote on recommendations to present to the Legislature.
credit:times-news.com
