West Virginia Survey Shows Medical Cannabis Fits Need of Citizens

A survey conducted by the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Resources indicates that both patients and medical professionals are looking forward to medical cannabis as a treatment option.

Eighty-two percent of the 1,455 physicians surveyed by the state’s Department of Health and Human Resources indicated interest in medical cannabis, which will be legal in West Virginia in 2019.

“We found that to be compelling that there is a certain level of interest, not just from patients, but from the medical community,” said Dr. Rahul Gupta, state health officer and commissioner for the state’s Bureau for Public Health.

The bureau surveyed over 6,000 patients. Of those, over a third suffer from chronic pain, 1,579 suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and 980 suffer from a mental health disorder. The bureau also analyzed Public Employees Insurance Agency and Medicaid claim data to find out what questions were left to answer regarding the state’s legalization of  medical cannabis. The bureau found that some of the most common conditions also were on the medical cannabis qualification list. Between the West Virginia Public Employee Insurance Agency, as well as Medicaid recipients, 64,000 patients submitted cancer claims, 47,400 submitted claims for PTSD, and over 30,000 submitted chronic pain claims. “That certainly tells you that when the legislature put in those 15 conditions, those are certainly some of the top conditions in tat data set that people feel the need for help,” Gupta said.

The board is due to meet again in February, and will continue to discuss upcoming decisions needed in the legalization process, including dispensary limits, patients growing own cannabis product and more.

West Virginia is currently being devastated by the opioid epidemic, and is burdened by a one billion dollar deficit. The state will be taxing cannabis growers at 10 percent, which will be diverted to the Medical Cannabis Program Fund along with a new Fight Substance Abuse Fund.