State Lawmakers to Hold Hearing on Medical Marijuana Bill Thursday
CHARLESTON – The House Health and Human Resources Committee will hold a hearing Thursday on a bill that would allow patients with serious illnesses to obtain and use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend it. The hearing is scheduled for 4 p.m. EST in the East Wing Committee Room 215E of the West Virginia State Capitol Building.
H.B. 2961, the Compassionate Medical Marijuana Use Act of 2013, introduced by State Rep. Mike Manypenny (D-Taylor), would allow patients with certain qualifying medical conditions to possess up to six ounces of marijuana if their doctors recommend it. It would initially establish five tightly regulated compassion centers across the state to provide patients with safe, reliable access to medical marijuana. Patients would also have the option of privately cultivating up to 12 plants in their homes. The bill currently has nine co-sponsors, including two Republican delegates.
“The evidence is clear that medical marijuana can provide significant benefits to people suffering from a variety of serious illnesses,” said Matt Simon, a legislative analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project, who is a West Virginia native and graduate of West Virginia University. “This legislation will bring West Virginia in line with the growing number of states that recognize the medical efficacy of marijuana.”
