Virginia Approves Landmark Medical Cannabis Bill

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]V[/dropcap]irginia is a state that is typically known for its strict approach to medical cannabis laws. However, the state’s congressional leaders and even Gov. Ralph Northam himself have approved a landmark medical cannabis expansion bill.

House Bill 1251 passed both the Virginia Senate and House in February, and moved forward for the governor’s approval in the legislation on March 8.

The bill allows for the application for CBD and THC-A oil for patients who are diagnosed with certain conditions. It expands the list of diagnosable conditions beyond just severe epilepsy, and now patients will be able to pick up their cannabis-derived oils from a pharmaceutical provider.

“This will bring relief to thousands of Virginians suffering from cancer, Crohn’s disease and PTSD,” said Jenn Michelle Pedini, executive director of Virginia NORML. “We could not be happier with the unanimous passage of these bills.”

The bill was applauded by state lawmakers as well. “This allows another option for residents of Virginia, and it does provide some assistance for pain management and may give people an alternative to .?.?. opioids,” said Benjamin L. Cline, the chief sponsor of the House bill, according to The Washington Post.

WTKR also reports that a poll in April 2017 showed 94 percent of Virginia voters supported medical cannabis, and 59 percent supported recreational legalization. Thus, this seems to be in line with the desires of the commonwealth’s residents.

Virginia has been working on revising cannabis laws since legalization has swept much of the nation. However, they still remain one of the more conservative states, just now allowing for more CBD qualifying conditions when many states offer more extensive medical programs, or have recreational cannabis. Still, for a state that has remained so stagnant, this represents a major milestone for Virginia legalization.