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How to get a medical card in West Virginia.

  1. 1

    Register online with Leafwell

    You can speak to a doctor and qualify for a West Virginia medical marijuana card online. The cost of the online consultation is $199, and you are only billed if approved.

  2. 2

    Discuss Medical Marijuana with your Doctor

    Attend your appointment and discuss why you would like an MMJ Card with your physician. The doctor will review your medical records and ask you questions based on your medical history. They will provide you with advice and guidance on whether medical marijuana is a good choice for you.

  3. 3

    Doctor Submits Certification to the State of West Virginia

    Once approved, your medical marijuana physician will enter your information directly into the state’s online licensing and registration system.

  4. 4

    Download Your Medical Card

    Once approved, you can download a digital copy of your card from the state website. The approval process takes 30-60 days, and the card is valid for one year.

Benefits of Getting a West Virginia Medical Card

A valid medical marijuana certificate and MMJ card is the only way to legally consume cannabis in West Virginia. However, should recreational, adult-use cannabis become legal in the future, having a valid certificate & MMJ card can still benefit.

Here are the usual benefits:

  • Save money. Medical cannabis patients tend to pay less tax on their meds.
  • More access to dispensaries and products and higher possession and plant limits.
  • Reciprocity. Some states recognize a valid medical card and recommendation letter from West Virginia.

About Medical Marijuana in West Virginia

Here is a brief overview of the history of medical marijuana laws and legislation in West Virginia.

2017 – Senate Bill 386 was passed – The Medical Cannabis Act – but this did not allow for the sale of cannabis flower
2019 – House Bill 2538 passed to establish a financial system with banking regulations for cannabis dispensaries. This is what delayed the opening of dispensaries in the state
2020 – Senate Bill 339 allowed for dried leaf or plant to be sold
2021 – Dispensary open for medical marijuana patients.

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How to qualify

To apply for a Medical Marijuana Card in West Virginia, you must be a legal resident of West Virginia.

Patients must be 18 to apply for a medical marijuana card for themselves, and minors can have caregivers apply on their behalf.

A caregiver of a minor must be a parent or legal guardian. The caregiver must attend the appointment and be certified by the physician. The caregiver will fill out a separate application which must be notarized.

The state keeps a database of all medical cannabis patients, but this is not a public-facing database.

The state also requires a digital photograph which will be used on the card once printed.

  1. Caregivers must also be 21.


    Primary caregivers can apply if:

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    Some patients may be eligible for an MMJ Card but unable to apply for one themselves. For example, should the patient be a minor under 18, or if the patient needs assistance accessing medical cannabis, a caregiver can be assigned to complete the process on their behalf.

    There are three types of caregivers:

    1. Designated by a patient or, if the patient is under 18 years of age, an individual that is a parent or legal guardian of the patient, or
    2. An individual designated by a patient or legal guardian, or
    3. An appropriate individual approved by the Bureau upon sufficient showing that no parent or legal guardian is appropriate or available.

    Caregivers must be on the telemedicine consultation with the patient. There is also a caregiver form that must be filled out and notarized, and it is then submitted alongside the patient’s application form. A patient can have two caregivers.

    Caregivers must be 21 years old. Caregivers must not have been convicted of a drug felony within the past five years.

Medical Conditions

The following debilitating conditions may qualify you for a medical marijuana card in West Virginia

- Severe, Chronic, or Intractable Pain of neuropathic origin.
- Severe, Chronic, or Intractable Pain in which conventional therapeutic intervention and opiate therapy is contraindicated or have proved ineffective as determined as part of continuing care.
- Terminal Illness (Defined as a medical prognosis of life expectancy of approximately one (1) year or less if the illness runs its normal course)

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Possession and Growing

Patients may possess up to a 30-day supply, but no specifics are available as to how much a 30-day supply constitutes.

There is no recreational cannabis use law in West Virginia.

Cultivating cannabis is illegal in West Virginia, even for medical patients.

Cannabis can be purchased in the following forms:

  • Pill
  • Oil
  • Topical forms, including gels, cream, or ointments
  • A form medically appropriate for administration by vaporization or nebulization, excluding dry leaf or plant form, unless dry leaf or plants forms become acceptable under rules adopted by the Bureau for Public Health
  • Tincture
  • Liquid
  • Dermal Patch

Avoid traveling with cannabis over state lines.

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Caregivers

Medical Marijuana patients in West Virginia can have a caregiver.

You qualify as a primary caregiver under West Virginia marijuana law if:

  1. 01

    You have been designated for that purpose by a legal medical marijuana user

  2. 02

    You are consistently responsible for that person’s housing, health, and/or safety

  3. 03

    The care you provide is independent of assistance you give the person in taking medical marijuana

  4. 04

    You began taking care of the person at or before the time you assumed responsibility for assisting with medical marijuana

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Reciprocity

West Virginia does not recognize out-of-state cards. However, West Virginia terminally ill patients are permitted to travel to purchase medical cannabis.

Arizona, Georgia (low-THC only) Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, US Virgin Islands,Utah and Washington DC may recognize a valid medical card and recommendation letter or certificate from West Virginia.

This reciprocity is one key benefit for medical marijuana users. Unlike recreational cannabis users, medical marijuana users with a medical marijuana card can travel to the states listed above and purchase the medical marijuana they require while they are out of state.

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Frequently asked questions in West Virginia

How much does a West Virginia Medical Marijuana certificate and card cost?

Online consultation with one of Leafwell’s healthcare providers costs $149. However, you will not be charged if you do not qualify for your medical cannabis card.

West Virginia also charges a $50 nonrefundable fee each time you apply. This fee may be waived if your household income is twice that of the federal poverty level.

What conditions qualify for a medical cannabis card in West Virginia?

There are currently over a dozen qualifying conditions for which the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis issues medical cannabis cards. They are:

How does the online evaluation process work for getting a Medical Marijuana certificate Letter/Medical Certificate in West Virginia?

There are four simple steps to seeing a Leafwell provider in West Virginia to obtain your medical marijuana card:

1. Register online with Leafwell

You can speak to a doctor and qualify for a West Virginia medical marijuana card online. The cost of the online consultation is $199. You are only billed if approved.

2. Attend your appointment and discuss with your physician why you would like an MMJ Card

The doctor will review your medical records and ask you questions based on your medical history. They will provide you with advice and guidance on whether medical marijuana is a good choice for you.

3. Receive your certificate from Leafwell

This is a certificate which says that your doctor recommends you become a cannabis patient under the state’s current laws and this certificate is required to apply for your MMJ Card.

4. Complete the medical marijuana Application on the government website

After your appointment, you’ll receive the next steps to help guide you through the state process. Once approved, you can download your card from the website. Approval takes 30-60 days. The card is valid for 1 year.

How old do I have to be to apply for a medical cannabis card in West Virginia?

West Virginia residents aged 18 and up diagnosed with at least one qualifying medical condition may be eligible to apply for a medical cannabis card.

Patients under 18 must have a caregiver to apply on their behalf. Caregivers must be at least 21 years of age and approved to obtain medical cannabis from state dispensaries and deliver it to a patient.

What is a medical cannabis caregiver in West Virginia?

West Virginia defines a caregiver as an individual at least 21 years of age or older who has been approved to obtain medical cannabis from state dispensaries and deliver it to a patient. Patients may not designate more than two caregivers, and a caregiver may not serve more than five patients at once.

Caregivers must be on the telemedicine consultation with the patient. They must apply online for a separate identification card and undergo a criminal background check. Caregivers must not have been convicted of a drug felony within the past five years.

How do I apply for the state program in West Virginia?

Our healthcare provider will submit your certification directly into the state’s online licensing and registration system. After we submit your information, it can take between 30 and 60 days before your application is approved. Once approved, you can download a digital copy of your medical cannabis card (valid for one year).