Last verified: May 2026
West Virginia State Agencies
Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC)
- Address: 350 Capitol Street, Room 523, Charleston, WV 25301.
- Phone: (304) 356-5090 or 844-949-1709.
- Fax: (304) 558-0035.
- Email: medcanwv@wv.gov.
- Website: omc.wv.gov.
- Status: housed within WV Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR).
- Cannabis-related responsibilities: licensing of growers / processors / dispensaries; patient registration; physician registration; product regulation; rule-making; compliance enforcement.
West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) Industrial Hemp Program
- Email: hemp@wvda.us.
- Website: agriculture.wv.gov/divisions/plant-industries/industrial-hemp.
- Cultivation fees: $200 + $5/acre.
- Manufacturer fees: $200/product (capped at $1,000).
- Retailer fees: $100.
- Cannabis-related responsibilities: industrial hemp cultivation/processing/retail under USDA-approved state plan.
West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
DUI license consequences administration; ignition interlock program; driver-license suspension/revocation.
West Virginia State Police
- Professional Standards: (304) 746-2110.
- Cannabis-related responsibilities: I-79 / I-77 / I-64 highway interdiction; K-9 deployment; cannabis-trafficking investigations; civil-asset-forfeiture coordination.
West Virginia Attorney General
Patrick Morrisey (R, in office since 2013, term-limited; signed 2017 SB 386 implementation orders). Cannabis-related responsibilities: AG opinions; opioid-litigation revenue coordination (intersection with cannabis-as-alternative framing).
West Virginia Legislature
Website: wvlegislature.gov. Bill tracking + statute database.
Statutory Framework
W. Va. Code ch. 16A — Medical Cannabis Act
The Medical Cannabis Act (SB 386, 2017) codified at W. Va. Code ch. 16A. Provides framework for medical-cannabis program: qualifying conditions, licensed growers/processors/dispensaries, patient registration, physician registration. First sales began November 2021 after a four-year regulatory build-out delay.
W. Va. Code ch. 60A — Uniform Controlled Substances Act
- § 60A-4-401: possession, distribution, manufacture offenses.
- § 60A-4-402: cultivation.
- § 60A-4-407: conditional discharge framework (first-offense diversion).
- § 60A-7-704: school-zone enhancement.
W. Va. Code § 17C-5-2 — DUI
DUI offense provisions; 3 ng/mL THC patient-driver trap applies to medical-cannabis patients with detectable metabolites.
State v. Hubbard (W. Va. analytical analysis)
Hubbard framework: concentrate analytical analysis can elevate possession charges to felony exposure based on enhanced testing protocols.
Federal Sources
- 21 U.S.C. § 841: federal manufacture, distribution, possession with intent.
- 21 U.S.C. § 844: federal simple possession.
- 2018 Farm Bill (P.L. 115-334): hemp definition.
- April 28, 2026 DOJ Schedule III rescheduling: 91 Fed. Reg. 22714.
- PL 119-37 § 781: federal hemp 0.4 mg/package cap effective November 12, 2026.
Federal Agencies
- DEA Louisville Field Division oversees West Virginia.
- U.S. Attorney’s Office: Northern (Wheeling/Clarksburg) + Southern (Charleston) Districts of West Virginia.
- USDA Agricultural Marketing Service: approves state hemp plans.
- FBI Clarksburg: CJIS Division.
Federal Installations
- FCI Beckley: Federal Correctional Institution.
- FCI Hazelton: Federal Correctional Institution.
- Bureau of Engraving and Printing Western Currency Facility: Charleston.
- FBI Clarksburg: CJIS Division (Criminal Justice Information Services).
- USCG Sector Pittsburgh / Marine Safety Detachment Charleston.
- National Energy Technology Laboratory (Morgantown): DOE national laboratory.
- Federal land: Monongahela National Forest, New River Gorge National Park (designated December 2020 as 63rd national park).
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org
Related on this site: WV Cannabis Advocacy & Legal Defense, Send a Message, Contact CannabisWestVirginia.org.