A West Virginia physician registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis can certify your serious medical condition. Here's what state law protects at work — and what it doesn't.
West Virginia's medical cannabis program is run by the Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC). It's medical only — there's no adult-use market in the state.
A West Virginia physician registered with the OMC certifies your serious medical condition.
Upload ID and proof of West Virginia residency, and pay the $50 fee — or request a hardship waiver.
The Office of Medical Cannabis reviews your application and approves your card.
Cards last one year; renew with a new certification.
The Medical Cannabis Act protects patients from discrimination for being certified — but it draws a clear line at impairment on the job.
An employer can't fire, threaten, refuse to hire, or discriminate against you solely because you're a certified patient.
Employers don't have to allow use at work, and can discipline you for being under the influence on the job.
Employers can bar patients from tasks that could create a safety or public-health risk while under the influence.
West Virginia allows workplace drug testing, and it's unclear whether the law protects a positive test.
“No employer may discharge, threaten, refuse to hire or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee … solely on the basis of such employee's status as an individual who is certified to use medical cannabis.”
— W. Va. Code §16A-15-4(b)(1)Before you register: read your employer's drug policy, and ask HR how it applies to certified patients. Federal employees, federal contractors, and drivers under federal testing rules follow federal law. General information only, not legal advice.
State application fee
Available for financial hardship
Card term, renewed annually
Supply limit at a time
From the Office of Medical Cannabis. The physician visit is separate.
Your physician must certify one of the conditions in the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act.
Confirm current details with the Office of Medical Cannabis.
A medical dispensary on MacCorkle Avenue. Bring your West Virginia card and photo ID, and confirm hours before you go.
Every licensed dispensary in West Virginia is medical; see the Office of Medical Cannabis for the full list.
Wooded trails and quiet green space on the hillside above town — an easy escape after a shift.
“I asked HR about the drug policy before I registered. Knowing the rules ahead of time took the worry out of it.”
— Dana M., South Charleston“Twenty years in the plants left me with chronic back pain. I only use at home, never before a shift.”
— Jeff R., DunbarNo. West Virginia law bars discrimination based solely on your status as a certified patient.
No. Employers don't have to allow use on their premises and can discipline you for being under the influence on the job.
That's a gray area under West Virginia law. Talk with HR about your employer's policy before you register.
Federally regulated jobs follow federal drug rules, which a state card doesn't change.
On the Office of Medical Cannabis website, and in W. Va. Code §16A-15-4.
South Charleston, just downriver from the state capital, has been a center of the chemical industry since the early 1900s and is home to the West Virginia Regional Technology Park. It's also home to the Criel Mound, an Adena burial mound more than 2,000 years old. South Charleston residents follow the same statewide rules as every patient in West Virginia's medical cannabis program.
West Virginia's program was created by the Medical Cannabis Act (Senate Bill 386) in 2017, with dispensary sales beginning in 2021. Adult-use cannabis is not legal in West Virginia.
Public use is prohibited and driving impaired is illegal. Federally, state-licensed medical cannabis moved to Schedule III in 2026, but it remains a controlled substance. See the Office of Medical Cannabis for current rules.
Appointments with West Virginia physicians registered with the OMC.