Legislators push for special session on medical marijuana banking

Last year the West Virginia legislature passed a medical marijuana bill with the intention of it kicking off on July 1, 2019, however since then lawmakers have not been able to agree on regulation language enough to pass and the program preparations are sitting in limbo. On the last day of the legislative session the Senate approved the most recent bill that would allow the state to collect medical marijuana money to begin the program, however with over 5 hours still left the House chose to let the bill die before their session ended. Despite all the compromise between the two sides the House Speaker Tim Armstead allowed his personal convictions to overrule democracy during his last term in office as he decided the bill should not be voted on. Some lawmakers are attempting to gather signatures for a special session that would allow them another vote on state medical marijuana banking, but there's not telling when that might happen.

Under legislation passed with bipartisan support in 2017, medical marijuana is to become legal in West Virginia on July 1, 2019.

However, that launch date is in limbo since financial institutions in the state have notified state Treasurer John Perdue that because marijuana is still illegal under federal law, they cannot accept any “deposits related to sales, fees, licenses, or taxes related to state-sanctioned medical cannabis sales.”