Office of Medical Cannabis registered patients and caregivers hold rights and responsibilities associated with their medical cannabis identification card. These rights and responsibilites are found in West Virginia State Code and established legislative rules.
Rights
Employment:
(1) Employers CANNOT discharge, threaten, refuse to hire or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee solely on the basis of such employee’s status as an individual who is certified to use medical cannabis.
(2) Employers do NOT have to make accomodations to allow the use of medical cannabis on the property or premises of any place of employment.
(3) Employers may discipline employee for being under the influence of medical cannabis in the workplace.
Protection:
- A patient or caregiver cannot be subject to arrest, prosecution, or penalty or denied any right or privlege SOLELY for the lawful use of medical cannabis.
Responsibilities
Diversion & Retention:
A patient or caregiver CANNOT store or possess more than the legal amount of medical cannabis permitted.
A patient or caregiver CANNOT provide medical cannabis to a person not permitted to recieve medical cannabis.
Prohibitons:
A patient may NOT, while under the influence of medical cannabis:
- Be in control of:
- chemicals that require a permit.
- high-voltage electricity or other public utility.
- vehicle, aircraft, train, boat, or heavy machinery.
- perform employment duties at heights or confined spaces.
- perform any task or duty in which:
- an employer deems life-threatening.
- could result in a public health or safety risk.
Unlawful use of medical cannabis includes:
- Smoke medical cannabis.
- This includes any form of combustion (the process of burning). The use of rolling papers, water pipes, pipes, or any other accessory commonly used to consume cannabis through combustion is strictly prohibited.
- Except as provided under subsection (c), incorporate medical cannabis into edible form or sell in edible form.
- (c) Edible medical cannabis. — Nothing in this act shall be construed to preclude the incorporation of medical cannabis into edible form by a patient or a caregiver in order to aid ingestion of the medical cannabis by the patient.
- Grow medical cannabis unless the grower/processor has received a permit from the bureau under this act.
- Dispense medical cannabis unless the dispensary has received a permit from the bureau under this act.
Travel:
- Licensed patients and caregivers are prohibited from traveling outside of West Virginia with medical cannabis or medical cannabis products.
- Driving while under the influence of some prescription medications, any controlled substance or illegal drug is illegal. Consuming cannabis can slow your reaction time and effect your attentiveness. Medical cannabis patients are not exempt from state or federal driving while imparied laws.
Safe Storage:
- Medical cannabis organizations must package and dispense medical cannabis in child-resistant packaging to patients and caregivers.
- Medical cannabis must be possessed and stored in the original container in which it was dispensed.
- Medical cannabis should be treated like medications dispensed through a licensed pharmacy - kept safely out of reach of children and pets.
- Suggestions for safe storage include:
- Combination medicine lock box.
- Use of cabinet lock if medical cannabis or medicine is stored in cabinet.
- Money lock box.
- Safe box.