A WV medical card for epilepsy or intractable seizures

If you are reading this for your child, this article is written with you in mind. Adult patients will find notes along the way too.

Two separate lines on the list

West Virginia's Medical Cannabis Act lists "epilepsy" and, separately, "intractable seizures." The first covers a diagnosed epilepsy. The second covers seizures that have not been controlled by treatment, which can include seizures from other causes. A registered physician decides which entry fits, and either one is enough.

As with every condition, the diagnosis must be part of your continuing care, and the certifying physician must be an MD or DO fully licensed in West Virginia and registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis.

If the patient is your child

There is no minimum age in West Virginia, but patients under 18 must have a caregiver, and that caregiver must be a parent or legal guardian. OMC also says the caregiver application has to be created and ready for submission before the minor can be approved. That second rule can hold everything up if you do the applications one after the other.

Here is an order that avoids it:

1. Talk with your child's neurologist about medical cannabis and get a records summary.
2. Find a physician on OMC's registered list and get your child certified.
3. Find a notary, and gather your own residency proof and photo ID.
4. Book your fingerprint appointment with IdentoGO for the caregiver background check.
5. Open the caregiver application and the child's patient application in the Complia portal in the same sitting.
6. Pay both $50 fees by ACH or mailed check or money order, or request hardship waivers with proof of income.
7. Allow at least 30 days from the time OMC receives the applications and payment.

Two parents can both serve. A patient may name up to two caregivers. Our caregiver guide covers the notarized form and background check in detail.

Before the visit: what the neurologist should know

The registered physician may not be your child's neurologist. Even so, the neurologist manages the seizure medicines and needs to know about any plan to add cannabis. Bring the certifying physician:

• The diagnosis and the name of the treating neurologist.
• A list of current seizure medicines and doses.
• A history of medicines tried and how they worked.
• A seizure log, if you keep one.

Forms used by children and adults

West Virginia allows pills, oils, tinctures, liquids, topicals, dermal patches, and forms for vaporization or nebulization. For a child, you might ask about oils, tinctures and liquids, which can be measured. Smoking is banned for everyone, and dispensaries do not sell edibles.

Ask your physician and pharmacist how a product's ingredients and strength are labeled, and how to measure doses accurately at home.

Do not change seizure medicines on your own

This is the most important line in this article. Stopping or cutting back seizure medicine without your neurologist can be dangerous. Cannabis products can also interact with some seizure medicines. Any change should happen with the neurologist involved, step by step.

What research suggests

Seizure disorders are among the more closely studied uses of cannabis compounds, particularly in some severe childhood epilepsies. Some studies suggest certain products may reduce seizures for some patients, while results vary by condition and product, and many questions remain. What works in a study may not match what a dispensary sells. Keep expectations measured and track results with your neurologist.

Driving and safety for adult patients

If you are an adult with seizures, you may already have driving restrictions from your doctor. Medical cannabis adds another layer. OMC says patients are not exempt from impaired-driving laws, and the Medical Cannabis Act as passed in 2017 sets a 3 nanogram per milliliter blood THC limit for driving or operating heavy machinery; check the current code. The patient rules page has the details.

At home, store products where children cannot reach them, in the original dispensary package as the law requires.

Next steps

Start with the neurologist conversation. Then find a registered physician and line up the caregiver paperwork at the same time. The application guide walks through the portal, and the full list of qualifying conditions shows the exact wording for both seizure entries.

Worth reading next

• What a WV medical card costs
• How renewal works in WV
• Online evaluations in WV: what to know