News — legalization

West Virginia Cannabis History Medical marijuana was legalized in 2017 in West Virginia, then Senate Bill 386 also known as the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, was passed, making medical marijuana available to patients with specific chronic medical conditions.  The bill established the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Commission, set forth rules and timelines for the establishment of a statewide medical marijuana system, and established July 1, 2019, as the date to begin certifying patients for medical cannabis use. Previous attempts that ultimately failed to advance include Senate Bill 546 and House Bill 2909.   West Virginia Child-Resistant Packaging Rules West...

Washington Cannabis History Both medical and recreational marijuana are legal in Washington.  Patients with qualifying medical conditions were granted access to medical marijuana in 1998 with the passage of Initiative 692, or the Medical Use of Marijuana Act.  A 2010 amendment increased the types of healthcare professions allowed to authorize marijuana for medical use from just medical doctors and osteopathic physicians to also include physician assistants, advanced registered nurse practitioners, and naturopathic physicians. 2011 saw the passage of SB 5073, which was later partially vetoed.  The law did provide: Guidance for healthcare practitioners authorizing medical marijuana, Patient protections, and Ability...

Virginia Cannabis History Recreational marijuana will be legal for adult use on July 1, 2021 with the passage of House Bill 2312  and Senate Bill 1406, making Virginia the 17th US state (and 1st Southern state) to legalize marijuana. 2020’s SB 5013 and SB 5029 reduced penalties for cannabis possession to a civil penalty, and eliminated cannabis odor as a pretext for law enforcement searches, respectively. Virginia’s medical marijuana program was initiated in 2017 with the approval of a bill allowing limited cannabis cultivation and access to CBD and THC oil for patients with severe epilepsy.  In 2018, Virginia’s Governor...

Vermont Cannabis History Medical marijuana was made available to Vermont residents with 2004’s Senate Bill 76.  In 2013, HB200 eliminated criminal penalties for possession of up to an ounce and replaced them with civil fines. Recreational usage was legalized in 2018 with the signing of H. 511 (Act 86), making Vermont the first state to legalize marijuana through legislative action rather than a ballot initiative. Vermont Child-Resistant Packaging Rules Vermont’s cannabis labeling and packaging guidelines include the following: Cannabis products must be labeled with the date the product was manufactured, the date the product is best used by, the ingredients...