West Virginia to Launch Medical Cannabis Application Process Next Month

West Virginia regulators have announced the start of the state’s medical cannabis business licensing process, an important step toward implementing the program, which was slated to launch this past July.

Businesses seeking cultivation, processing, distribution and laboratory licenses can apply with the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis starting Dec. 19, according to a Charleston Gazette-Mail report. The application window will stay open for 60 days before regulators issue licenses, the news outlet reported.

Legislation approved in 2017 legalized medical cannabis in West Virginia and set a July 1, 2019 start date for the program, but state officials continued wrestling with a banking solution over the summer, delaying the start of sales.

The state has made strides to solve its banking problem, however, as Treasurer John Perdue recently awarded a banking contract to Element Federal Credit Union in South Charleston to handle the funds associated with the medical cannabis industry, Charleston Gazette-Mail reported.

West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis Director Jason Frame told the Charleston Gazette-Mail in an August interview that he is aiming for patients to be able to access medical cannabis before the summer of 2021.