CHARLESTON, W.Va. — The House of Delegates accepted a technical amendment from the Senate on a medical mariajuana bill and sent the bill on to the governor.
The bill now goes to Gov. Jim Justice, who has said he is likely to sign it and sympathetic to families with suffering loved ones.
Last week, Justice said he will need to explore the issue more.
“I’m dialed in wholeheartedly to the budget. I’m not dodging the question,” Justice said. “I’ve said over and over, I would be an advocate of medical marijuana. The reason I would is just this — I don’t think any of us, if we had a loved one at home and the doc said it would help, why in the world would you stand in the way?
“I would be an absolutely opponent to legalizing marijuana because we have a drug epidemic in this state that we need to absolutely get our act together before we add another component to the table.”
Few thought West Virginia would be adopting a medical marijuana bill this legislative session. It all happened when the Senate passed a bill over and then delegates passed a floor vote, bypassing committee.