Legal access
A valid OMC card is what lets you buy at one of the state's licensed dispensaries. There is no adult-use market to fall back on.
The state fee is $50, the steps are few, and most delays come from small paperwork mistakes. Here is how to get it right the first time, from the physician visit to your first dispensary trip.
Pick the closest match. This only checks the state's list. It is not a medical decision.
If your condition appears on the West Virginia list, a physician registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis can review your records and decide whether to certify you. If it is not clearly on the list, ask anyway. Only the physician can say whether your diagnosis fits the law's wording.
Book my evaluationDoing them out of order is the most common way people lose a few weeks.
An MD or DO registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis reviews your records and, if your condition fits the law, issues a certification.
Photo ID, a passport-quality digital photo, and proof of West Virginia residency from the DMV's list of accepted documents.
Create an account in OMC's Complia portal, upload everything, and pay the $50 by ACH or a mailed check or money order.
Allow at least 30 days. Once you are approved, you download a digital card from the portal and can buy at a licensed dispensary.
Adult-use cannabis is not legal in West Virginia, so the card is the only lawful way to buy.
A valid OMC card is what lets you buy at one of the state's licensed dispensaries. There is no adult-use market to fall back on.
Up to 6 ounces of flower or 60 grams of concentrate in a rolling 30-day period, unless your physician sets a different amount.
Pills, oils, tinctures, liquids, topicals, dermal patches, and flower or concentrate for vaporizing. Smoking is not allowed.
Under the Act as amended in 2019, medical cannabis is exempt from state sales tax. Dispensaries pay a 10% tax on their receipts, and it may not appear as a separate charge on your receipt.
The Act as passed in 2017 bars firing someone only for being certified. Employers can still act on impairment at work. Check the current code.
Patients under 18 can be certified with a parent or legal guardian as their caregiver. Any patient may name up to two caregivers.
The state fee is fixed. Type in the physician price you are quoted to see the full cost.
The $50 fee and the hardship waiver come from the West Virginia Office of Medical Cannabis; the physician visit price is set by whoever certifies you, and OMC does not publish it.
Your physician decides whether your diagnosis fits. The list has not changed since at least 2019.
A West Virginia medical cannabis card lets a resident with a qualifying condition buy from a state-licensed dispensary. It costs $50, it lasts one year, and it works only inside West Virginia. Adult-use cannabis is not legal here, so the card is the only lawful way to buy.
The program comes from the Medical Cannabis Act, signed by Gov. Jim Justice on April 19, 2017. The Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC), part of the state Department of Health, issues every card.
The law names 15 serious medical conditions, including cancer, epilepsy, PTSD and severe chronic pain. Pain is the most common one among patients, according to OMC's 2025 biennial report. If you are not sure your diagnosis fits, read our plain-English list of qualifying conditions, then ask a physician. The physician decides. The list does not, and neither do we.
Only an MD or DO licensed in West Virginia and registered with OMC can certify you. Physician assistants and nurse practitioners cannot, even if one of them is your regular provider. As of September 30, 2026, OMC counted 125 registered physicians and 26 telemedicine companies.
If the nearest registered office is a long drive, an online visit may save you the trip. OMC lists telemedicine companies, but the law still mentions an in-person consultation, so read how online evaluations work in WV before you book.
Dr. Weedy offers online evaluations for West Virginia residents. Before you pay, ask how their physicians handle the in-person part of continuing care that the state law mentions. Code DRWDY85872 takes 5% off.
Book my evaluation →After you are certified, you apply in OMC's online portal. You need a photo ID, a passport-quality digital photo, and proof of residency from the DMV's accepted list. Pay by ACH or mail a check or money order. Payment apps are not accepted. Our step-by-step application guide covers each part.
Money tight? If your household income is below 200% of the federal poverty level, you can ask OMC to waive the fee. Send proof of income and no payment. The full cost breakdown covers the waiver, the caregiver fee and replacement cards.
OMC asks you to allow at least 30 days after it receives your application and payment before you check on it. Once you are approved, you download a digital card from the portal.
West Virginia had 70 operational dispensaries on September 30, 2026. In a rural county the closest one can be a fair drive, so call ahead about hours and what is in stock. Our dispensary guide links the official list.
You can buy up to 6 ounces of flower or 60 grams of concentrate in a rolling 30-day period, unless your physician sets a different limit. Smoking is banned, but vaporizing is allowed. Dispensaries sell no edibles, and growing at home is illegal. You also cannot take cannabis across the state line. Our page on patient rules in West Virginia covers driving and storage too.
You need a new physician certification every year. You can file your renewal up to 60 days before the card expires, and the new card runs a year from the old expiration date, so there is no reason to cut it close. See how renewal works and mark the date on your calendar now.
If someone else will pick up your medicine or help you take it, they may need their own caregiver card. Patients under 18 must have one.
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No. West Virginia law defines a certifying practitioner as an MD or DO fully licensed in the state, and that physician must also be registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis.
No. OMC takes ACH or a mailed check or money order. Its FAQ says payment apps such as Chime, Venmo and CashApp may not be used.
One year. If you renew before it expires, the new card runs one year from the original expiration date, so filing early in the 60-day renewal window does not cost you any days.
No. Smoking and any other combustion are prohibited. You can vaporize flower or concentrate, or use pills, oils, tinctures, liquids, topicals or patches.
No. OMC says the card is valid only in West Virginia, and patients and caregivers may not travel out of the state with medical cannabis.
No. Growing cannabis without a state grower/processor permit is unlawful. A 2026 home-grow bill, HB 5259, died in committee.
If your household income is below 200% of the federal poverty level, you can ask OMC to waive the $50. Send proof of income and do not send a payment. If OMC denies the waiver, it will ask you for the fee.
Certification comes before the application, so book that first. Dr. Weedy is one online option for West Virginia residents, and code DRWDY85872 takes 5% off the evaluation.