West Virginia’s first medical cannabis dispensary is opening this week, over four years since medical marijuana became legal in the state.
Trulieve Cannabis Corp. is set to debut a retail location in Morgantown on Friday with a second shop opening in Weston next Monday.
“We’re thrilled to be first to market in West Virginia and to continue building the foundation for the West Virginia’s emerging medical cannabis market,” Trulieve CEO Kim Rivers said in a statement.
She said the company’s goal is to “bolster local economies by creating sustainable jobs and investing in marginalized communities.”
In 2017, West Virginia became the 29th state to allow medical cannabis use in pills, oils, topical gels, liquids, dermal patches and a form that can be vaporized. It was not until February of this year, though, that the state’s Office of Medical Cannabis finally allowed qualifying patients to register for medical marijuana.
The state issued 100 medical cannabis dispensary permits at the beginning of this year, but Trulieve Cannabis Corp is the only one that has opened its doors so far.
In order to access and buy products from a dispensary, residents must have a West Virginia medical marijuana card. Residents with serious medical conditions such as cancer, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy, and PTSD can register for the card at www.medcanwv.org.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.