West Virginia Opens First Medical Cannabis Dispensary
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia's first medical cannabis dispensary opened Friday, more than four years after state lawmakers allowed a regulatory system for those products to be established.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. debuted a retail location in Morgantown with a second shop opening in Weston next Monday.
"We're thrilled to be first to market in West Virginia and to continue building the foundation for the West Virginia's emerging medical cannabis market," Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said in a statement.
She said the company's goal is to "bolster local economies by creating sustainable jobs and investing in marginalized communities."
The 2017 state law allows for medical cannabis use in pills, oils, topical gels, liquids, dermal patches and a form that can be vaporized.
In order to access and buy products from a dispensary, residents must have a West Virginia medical marijuana card. Residents with serious medical conditions can register for the card at www.medcanwv.org.
Rivers said the company plans to open nine dispensaries across the state, The Dominion Post reported.
More than 200 people were lined up outside of the Morgantown location on Friday morning.
Sabrina Howland of Hurricane said she developed severe nerve pain about six years ago and signed up to receive her medical cannabis card in February. She said she sometimes has trouble walking and had to quit her job and stop driving.
"I decided to come up here because it's legal now," she said. "It will help me. I need it."
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