Medical marijuana is coming to Virginia
http://theweek.com/speedreads/753544/medical-marijuana-coming-virginia
The Virginia state Senate unanimously passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana on Monday, three days after its companion bill was passed, also unanimously, in the Virginia House of Delegates. The legislation will now go to the desk of Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who is expected to sign it because he supports legalizing medical marijuana, as well as decriminalizing recreational possession of the drug.
The Virginia legislation will permit doctors in the state to prescribe cannabidiol oil or THC-A oil for any "diagnosed condition or disease." Previous legislation permitted use for "intractable epilepsy" only. Supporters hope the bill may also help address the opioid crisis in Virginia, as legal medical marijuana correlates with significantly fewer opioid overdose-related deaths.
"I finally decided that I needed to advocate for the physicians being the decision makers," said state Sen. Siobhan Dunnavant (R-12), a doctor who sponsored the Senate version. "We physicians are the ones that follow the literature and know which treatments are best for different conditions. The literature on medical cannabis is going to be evolving rapidly now, and because of this, it is not a decision that should be in the hands of the legislature. Instead, it should be with physicians." Bonnie Kristian
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Virginia senate unanimously passes medical marijuana bill
http://wtkr.com/2018/02/06/virginia-senate-unanimously-passes-medical-marijuana-bill/
The Virginia state Senate unanimously passed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in the Commonwealth on Monday, WDBJ reports.
The Joint Commission on Health Care bill SB 726 will let doctors in Virginia use cannabis oil to treat any diagnosed condition or disease with a written certification.
Currently, the law allows Virginians to use cannabis oil only for the treatment of severe epilepsy.
The bill will go to Governor Ralph Northam, who has said he supports expanding the use of legal marijuana.
1979 medical regulation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Virginia#1979_medical_regulation
In 1979, Virginia passed legislation allowing doctors to recommend cannabis for glaucoma or the side effects of chemotherapy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannabis_in_Virginia
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Marijuana-related bills in the 2018 Virginia General Assembly
The following marijuana-related bills have been filed for the 2018 Virginia General Assembly legislative session. This page will be updated regularly. Click the bill title for the complete text and additional information. Questions? Contact Virginia NORML at
director@virginianorml.org or 804-464-7050 M-F 9-6.
http://www.vanorml.org/2018_legislation
TAKE ACTION
http://www.vanorml.org/act
Virginia Action Alerts:
URGENT: Expand Patient Access to Medical Cannabis: Let Doctors Decide
http://norml.org/action-center/item/virginianorml-let-doctors-decide
Virginia: Expand State’s Medical Cannabis Law
http://norml.org/action-center/item/virginianorml-let-doctors-decide
Federal Priorities:
Priority: Tell Congress to Reject Jeff Session's Reversal of the Cole Memo
http://norml.org/action-center/item/jeff-sessions-is-targeting-the-cannabis-community-it-s-time-for-congress-to-step-in
MJ Justice: The Marijuana Justice Act of 2017 Introduced
http://norml.org/action-center/item/the-marijuana-justice-act-of-2017-introduced
Caucus: Tell Your Congressional Representative: Join the Cannabis Caucus
http://norml.org/action-center/item/tell-your-congressional-representative-join-the-cannabis-caucus
Jeff Sessions Is Targeting Marijuana – It’s Time For Congress To Step In
http://norml.org/action-center/item/jeff-sessions-is-targeting-the-cannabis-community-it-s-time-for-congress-to-step-in
Protect Our Progress: Bipartisan Leaders Reintroduce the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-bipartisan-leaders-reintroduce-the-respect-state-marijuana-laws-act
Timely (Budget Process): Tell Your Elected Officials To Protect Lawful Medical Marijuana Programs From Attorney General Jeff Sessions
http://norml.org/action-center/item/federal-protect-lawful-medical-marijuana-programs