CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) – Legal medical cannabis products will eventually be coming to West Virginia and there is a lot of interest in making and selling them. The application process with the Department of Health and Human Resources opened up on Thursday, and already 75 people or companies have registered, though no one has yet to complete the lengthy application. The applications are to become growers, processors or dispensers of medical cannabis. Backers of the law, call this a big step.

Del. Mike Pushkin, (D) Kanawha, said, “They’ll eventually start buying property, refurbishing property for growing and processing, and hopefully hire a couple thousand West Virginians, while providing much-needed relief for West Virginians who are suffering.”

Companies can apply to do any two functions in the process, but the overall number of growers processors and dispensaries will be limited. Some are concerned about prices and want the state legislature to amend the law, so people can grow a limited amount of their own plants. Rusty Williams of the WV Medical Cannabis Advisory Board is a cancer survivor, who self-medicated with cannabis during chemotherapy.

“It’s crucial that they add a home-grow provision to the law. We’re going to have folks who won’t be able to go to the dispensaries and pay the prices. And without the ability to grow their own or caregivers to grow for them, they are basically in the same position they are right now. They are left without access and that is not acceptable,” Williams said.

The Medical Cannabis Law was passed nearly three years ago, and products were supposed to go on sale last July, but there have been multiple snags and delays.

“The applications are quite detailed and require a lot of information. Because of that applicants will have a full 60-days to get their information in, before the February 18th deadline,” Mark Curtis 13 News.