West Virginia Democrats attempt to reschedule marijuana

CHARLESTON — Republicans rejected attempts by Democrats Tuesday to remove marijuana from the state's list of Schedule 1 controlled substances.

Each year, West Virginia updates substances on that list to be in line with federal law, which considers Schedule 1 substances, including heroin, LSD and ecstasy, to be those with no accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) reports that there is "substantial or moderate" evidence marijuana is associated with some health concerns, such as worse respiratory symptoms, impairment in memory and development of schizophrenia among frequent users. But NIH also reports there is "conclusive or substantial" evidence that marijuana is effective for the treatment of chronic pain in adults, in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, and for improving multiple sclerosis symptoms.

West Virginia passed a law to permit the use of medical marijuana in the state in 2017. Del. Mick Bates, D-Raleigh, said Democrats offered amendments Tuesday in the House Health Committee to rectify that inconsistency.

Read more: https://www.timeswv.com/news/west-virginia-democrats-attempt-to-reschedule-marijuana/article_209ad069-aa82-5b56-882b-ad1e4957afca.html