The Senate Committee on the Judiciary met Thursday morning before floor session to discuss House Bill 2079, removing certain limitations on medical cannabis grower, processor, and dispensary licenses.
The original House bill would limit the number of grower and processor permits, and dispensary permits to 165, and remove the requirements that licenses be limited in regions in the state.
The Committee adopted a strike and insert to the bill and would do the following:
- Cleanup languge
- Reduces the number of dispensary permits from 165 to 100
- Allows for vertical integration of growers, processors and dispensaries
- A person could be permitted to have one grower/processor permit and up to 10 dispensary permits
- Modifies the tax provision to allow vertical integration
The Committee adopted two amendments to the strike and insert. Senator Baldwin (D – Greenbrier, 10) moved to amend the strike and insert by adding “geographical locations” to the list of factors when granting a dispensary permit. Senator Lindsay (D – Kanawha, 8) amended the strike and insert by adding a requirement that any West Virginia business licensed under the bill must have 51 percent of the business own by West Virginia residents.
The bill was approved by the Committee, and will be reported to the Senate to be voted upon.
The Committee also adopted four originating Senate Concurrent Resolutions during the meeting. Those resolutions include:
- Originating Senate Concurrent Resolution 2 – Requesting study of access to adoption records by adult adoptees.
- Originating Senate Concurrent Resolution 3 – Requesting study of price gouging and unfair pricing practices during and after state and federal emergencies.
- Originating Senate Concurrent Resolution 4 – Requesting study of the distinction between an employee and an independent contractor for the purposes of workers’ compensation.
- Originating Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 – Requesting study of state measures to strengthen and modernize the protections for trade secrets and intellectual property.
All four resolutions will be reported to the Senate to be voted upon.
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