West Virginia Chooses Metrc as Traceability Vendor

West Virginia has chosen Metrc to be its traceability vendor, putting the state one step closer to opening its long-awaited medical cannabis system. Already used in fifteen states and D.C., West Virginia chose Metrc to help ensure no illicit products are sold in the legal medical cannabis market and to prevent diversion of legal medical cannabis onto the illicit market, according to a Metrc press release.

“This is an important step to make certain medical cannabis is available only to West Virginians with serious medical conditions and to prevent diversion of products in West Virginia. While the COVID-19 pandemic has put many industries across the country on hold, we’re proud to say that it has not stopped West Virginia from meeting its deadlines and laying the groundwork for a safe, regulated medical cannabis market.” — Jason Frame, Director of the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis, in a press release

West Virginia passed medical cannabis in 2017 but has yet to serve any patients due to banking concerns and licensing delays.

When the system is finally up and running, registered patients can expect to have access to the following, according to the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis:

• Pills,
• Oils,
• Topical forms including gels, creams, or ointments,
• Forms medically appropriate for administration by vaporization or nebulization,
• Dry leaf or plant forms,
• Tinctures,
• Liquids,
• Transdermal patches.

The West Virginia medical cannabis roll out made other news this week when it was revealed that many of the states license cannabis cultivators were out-of-state firms. The Office of Medical Cannabis expects sales to begin in the Spring of 2021, four years after the original bill was signed.