West Virginia’s treasurer has indicated that he will release $38 million in medical funds derived from cannabis, In the center of attention of the mountain state reports. The release of the funds comes after Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey last week vetoed a bill that would have required their distribution.
In the veto letter, Morrisey said the state “needs to do better at planning for the future and can’t completely predetermine future revenue streams like this if it’s going to have the reserves to invest more in roads, water, sewer, site selection, rail and tax cuts in the future.”
Treasurer Larry Pack said the funds will be disbursed under the state’s medical cannabis law — half will be used by the Office of Medical Cannabis, with the remainder split between a substance abuse treatment grant program and law enforcement grants.
Pack initially expressed concerns about the state’s use of the funds because of the federal designation of cannabis as a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act. Lars Dalseide, a spokesman for the governor’s office, told Spotlight that the issue was not whether the funds should be used, but “how they are used” and whether the state was using the funds “in a responsible and sustainable manner.”
