Becoming a medical cannabis caregiver in West Virginia

When a caregiver is needed

A West Virginia caregiver card is required when the patient is under 18. For adult patients it is optional. A patient can name up to two caregivers, and one caregiver can serve no more than five patients.

An adult patient might name a caregiver when getting to a dispensary is hard. That could be because of the illness itself, or because the nearest store is a long drive and the patient no longer drives. Naming a second caregiver gives you a backup when the first one is sick or away.

Minors need a parent or guardian

For a child, OMC says the designated caregiver must be a parent or legal guardian. OMC also says the caregiver application must be created and ready for submission before the minor patient can be approved.

In practice, that means doing both applications together. Get the child certified by a registered physician, start the child's patient application, and start your caregiver application the same week. If the caregiver side lags, the child's card waits.

The Medical Cannabis Act as passed in 2017 also allowed someone designated by a parent or guardian, or someone approved by the state when no parent or guardian is appropriate. OMC's current page names only parents and legal guardians, so if your family situation is unusual, call OMC at (304) 356-5090 before you apply.

What you will need

• Proof of West Virginia residency. OMC's examples include a West Virginia driver's license or state ID with your current address, a utility bill, or a voter registration card.
• A photo ID.
• A photo of yourself for the card.
• The Caregiver Designation form, signed by the patient and notarized.
• A fingerprint-based state and federal background check, done through IdentoGO.
• The $50 fee, or proof of income if you are asking for the hardship waiver.

Get the notarized form right

The designation form needs the patient's signature and a notary at the same time, which takes some planning. If the patient is homebound or in a care facility, ask ahead whether a notary can come to them, and have the form filled in before the notary arrives.

Fingerprinting and background check

Caregivers go through a fingerprint-based state and federal background check through IdentoGO. OMC does not list the vendor's price. Book your fingerprint appointment early, since the nearest location may not be in your town.

The Act as passed in 2017 says the state must deny a caregiver who was convicted of a felony drug sale or possession offense within the past five years. Check the current code if this could apply to you.

Age

The Act as passed in 2017 says a person under 21 may not be a caregiver unless a sufficient showing is made to the state. We could not read the current code directly, so treat 21 as the working rule and check with OMC if you are younger.

The fee

The caregiver application fee is $50. Like the patient fee, it can be waived for financial hardship if household income is below 200% of the federal poverty level. Do not send a payment if you are asking for the waiver. The cost page has every fee side by side.

The rules apply to you too

Holding a caregiver card does not loosen any rules. Caregivers, like patients, may not take medical cannabis outside West Virginia. Smoking is prohibited. Keep unused product in its original dispensary package, and carry your card whenever you have medical cannabis with you. Our page on patient and caregiver rules spells these out.

Where to start

If the patient is not certified yet, that comes first: see the application guide. If the patient is a child with a qualifying condition, check the qualifying conditions list with their physician, then open both applications in the Complia portal at wv-public.mycomplia.com.

Questions people ask

Worth reading next

• How renewal works in WV
• WV medical card FAQ