§16A-4-3. Issuance of certification.

(a) Conditions for issuance. — A certification to use medical cannabis may be issued by a practitioner to a patient if all of the following requirements are met:

(1) The practitioner has been approved by the bureau for inclusion in the registry and has a valid, unexpired, unrevoked, unsuspended license to practice medicine in this state at the time of the issuance of the certification.

(2) The practitioner has determined that the patient has a serious medical condition and has included the condition in the patient’s health care record.

(3) The patient is under the practitioner’s continuing care for the serious medical condition.

(4) In the practitioner’s professional opinion and review of past treatments, the practitioner determines the patient is likely to receive therapeutic or palliative benefit from the use of medical cannabis.

(5) The practitioner has determined that the patient has no past or current medical condition(s) or medication use that would constitute a contraindication for the use of cannabis.

(6) The practitioner has determined that the patient is experiencing serious pathophysiological discomfort, disability, or dysfunction that may be attributable to a serious medical condition and may possibly benefit from cannabis treatment when current medical research exhibits a moderate or higher probability of efficacy; and

(7) The practitioner has educated the patient about cannabis and its safe use.

(b) Contents. — The certification shall include:

(1) The patient’s name, date of birth, and address.

(2) The specific serious medical condition of the patient.

(3) A statement by the practitioner that the patient has a serious medical condition and the patient is under the practitioner’s continuing care for the serious medical condition.

(4) The date of issuance.

(5) The name, address, telephone number, and signature of the practitioner.

(6) Any requirement or limitation concerning the appropriate form of medical cannabis and limitation on the duration of use, if applicable, including whether the patient is terminally ill.

(7) A statement by the practitioner attesting that he or she has performed the requirements contained in subsection (a) of this section on a form to be issued by the West Virginia Department of Health, Bureau for Public Health.

(c) Consultation. —

(1) A practitioner shall review the prescription drug monitoring program prior to:

(A) Issuing a certification to determine the controlled substance history of a patient.

(B) Recommending a change of amount or form of medical cannabis.

(2) The practitioner shall consider and give due consideration to other controlled substances the patient may be taking prior to certifying medical cannabis.

(d) Other access by practitioner. — A practitioner may access the prescription drug monitoring program to do any of the following:

(1) Determine whether a patient may be under treatment with a controlled substance by another physician or other person.

(2) Allow the practitioner to review the patient’s controlled substance history as deemed necessary by the practitioner.

(3) Provide to the patient, or caregiver, on behalf of the patient if authorized by the patient, a copy of the patient’s controlled substance history.

(e) Duties of practitioner. — The practitioner shall:

(1) Provide the certification to the patient.

(2) Provide a copy of the certification to the bureau, which shall place the information in the patient directory within the bureau’s electronic database. The bureau shall permit electronic submission of the certification.

(3) File a copy of the certification in the patient’s health care record.

(f) Prohibition. — A practitioner may not issue a certification for the practitioner’s own use or for the use of a family or household member.