Recently, a reader left a comment on an article stating that his state has had legal medical marijuana since 1979, but his state still hasn’t implemented a program. I had never heard this before, so I had to research it. Technically, in Virginia, medical marijuana is legal, and has been since 1979.
In 1979, the Virginia General Assembly passed the following law:
Virginia Code § 18.2-251.1. Possession or distribution of marijuana for medical purposes permitted.
A. No person shall be prosecuted under § 18.2-250 or § 18.2-250.1 for the possession of marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol when that possession occurs pursuant to a valid prescription issued by a medical doctor in the course of his professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma.
B. No medical doctor shall be prosecuted under § 18.2-248 or § 18.2-248.1 for dispensing or distributing marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol for medical purposes when such action occurs in the course of his professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma.
C. No pharmacist shall be prosecuted under §§ 18.2-248 to 18.2-248.1 for dispensing or distributing marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol to any person who holds a valid prescription of a medical doctor for such substance issued in the course of such doctor’s professional practice for treatment of cancer or glaucoma.
In 1998, a bill was introduced to repeal the medical use provision, but it was defeated after opposition materialized from Virginians Against Drug Violence. So, from what I can see, doctors can legally prescribe medical marijuana in the state of Virginia. However, if this is true, I don’t know why it’s not more widely known.
Please, if you have any more information on this or if I wrote any inaccuracies leave a comment and tell me!
