No caps for you! – West Virginia opposes limiting THC limits for medical marijuana patients

West Virginia Cannabis Advisory Board Opposes THC Limits for Medical Cannabis

Earlier this month, James Berry, a Morgantown-based addiction psychiatrist, submitted an application to the West Virginia Medicinal Cannabis Advisory Board proposing a 10% THC limit for medicinal cannabis products. James Berry believes medicinal cannabis presents the same challenges as prescription pills.

He added that several studies have backed the claim that higher concentrations of cannabis products can cause various health problems. While supplementation is a significant problem with continued use of higher concentrations of cannabis, users have also reported suffering from depression, psychosis, and suicidal thoughts.

However, not everyone agrees with the idea. According to Rusty Williams, a patient advocate on the advisory board, setting a cap will force patients to return to the illicit cannabis market or to spend more money to purchase cannabis products.

Williams added that the notion introduced by Berry is both a civil rights and social justice issue. Therefore, the board must do everything in its power not to sanction the ban. Williams firmly believes that arbitrarily capping the THC content in medicinal cannabis products at 10% will only make the current situation worse. It will only drive patients back into the illicit cannabis market.

Other advisory board members also stated that the cap could push some consumers to buy goods from other states and even cause people to lose their jobs. As there is currently no cap on THC levels, several items on store shelves contain concentrations in excess of 10%.

Upshur County-based Armory Pharmaceuticals manager Amanda Vezinat confirmed that more than 80% of their products would be destroyed if the 10% cap were implemented. Most, if not all, of these medical cannabis dispensaries will have to get rid of their current stocks. In particular, concentrates are completely useless. All these companies that went in, all these industries, will have wasted millions of dollars.

Before voting began on September 8, 2022, Vezinet and Williams stressed the importance of individuals taking part and contacting their local lawmakers on the matter. They feared that if the board approved the idea, it would go straight to the legislature for review.

The West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board has not endorsed James Berry’s proposal for a 10% THC cap for medicinal cannabis products. The board said they need more information on the matter before making a drastic decision. WV Public Broadcasting (WVPB) reports

If the proposal were accepted, the THC concentration of medicinal cannabis products in the state would be capped at 10%. dr James Berry, the research group leader and psychiatrist, claims that medical research supports the 10% THC limit. He explained that the potential of using THC in concentrations of 10% or less to treat any medical condition is supported by evidence.

Additionally, there is an excess of data linking higher THC levels to several public health issues, including suicide, psychosis, depression, anxiety, and the like. Berry confirmed this in an interview with WVPB.

A California resident and practicing pediatric pharmacist, Dr. Cody Peterson, however, didn’t share the same feelings as Berry. However, Peterson confirmed that he had noticed several problems with cannabis use during his years as a doctor.

The most questionable products come from the illegal cannabis market. If THC limits are set, especially ones that are well below the THC levels of products currently on the market, this will create more problems. This is because consumers are used to the current concentration. Decreasing it creates increased demand, provides incentives, and increases profitability in the illicit market, creating more problems than you intend to tackle.

In 2017, the West Virginia Legislature approved the Medical Cannabis Act and Governor Justice saw it go into effect. Since then, thousands of West Virginians who meet the necessary criteria have access to a new treatment option for serious or ongoing illness, the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources reported. According to West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis director Jason Frame, the law has also boosted economic growth by creating 332 direct jobs statewide. There are currently nine dispensaries, six producers and two processors in West Virginia. There are now three pharmacies in Morgantown alone, two of which will open in 2022.

Frame said the industry added 1,884 jobs in construction, transportation and security, in addition to the more than 300 directly created jobs. Frame strongly believes that patient care and employment prospects in West Virginia will improve as the medical cannabis sector continues to thrive. Additionally, “All distributed products were grown in medicinal cannabis cultivation and processing facilities within the boundaries of West Virginia.”

An 81% increase in the number of patient cards issued since January, success stories from patients with chronic illnesses, and a 350% increase in the number of operating dispensaries over the same period demonstrate the positive impact of the Medical Cannabis Bureau and this legislation in West Virginia have made. According to DHHR, the potential for continued growth of the cannabis industry and quality of care in West Virginia continues to grow.

The West Virginia Safer Workplace Act and the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, two recent laws passed by the West Virginia legislature, will significantly change the state’s policies on employee drug testing and the use of medical marijuana.

The Medical Cannabis Act protects employees from discrimination based on their certification to use medical marijuana while legalizing the use, possession and sale of cannabis to treat serious health conditions.

In contrast, the Safer Workplace Act, which Gov. Jim Justice just signed into law, significantly (and positively) changes West Virginia’s law, which now governs the right of corporations to test their employees for drugs and alcohol.

Conclusion

With hopes that more factual data and information will become available before the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Advisory Board meets again on Jan. 5, the panel may revisit the THC cap during the meeting.

WEST VIRGINIA CANNABIS, READ MORE…

WEST VIRGINIA GOES ON RECREATIONAL CANNABIS, READ MORE!