On June 17, a company named New Leaf opened a medical cannabis dispensary in Martinsburg. Beginning at 10 a.m. that day, a long line of customers attested to the necessity of this new facility.

New Leaf has been licensed, so far, to open 10 dispensaries in West Virginia. The Martinsburg facility is the 10th (“Of course we’re the last,” I said, “we’re the Eastern Panhandle!”).

Actually, New Leaf hopes to open another Eastern Panhandle dispensary sometime soon, this one in Jefferson County. The company is currently scouting out an ideal location for this dispensary.

Security is really tight at medical cannabis dispensaries. There’s a window in the lobby, much like a ticket window, where customers must present their identification. Once screened, customers are then allowed into the dispensing area. There are cameras everywhere, and state law requires New Leaf to retain all videotapes for a minimum of six months. The loading dock is secured behind a blind fence and monitored by cameras 24/7/365.

This level of security reflects the fact that, while medical cannabis has been legalized by almost every state, the product is still illegal by federal law. And West Virginia’s law legalizing medical cannabis is one of the most rigorous in the country. Growers, producers and dispensaries must jump through many hoops to have their operations approved by the state.

All the product dispensed by New Leaf is grown and produced in West Virginia. Employees must clear a background check and take a two-hour training course, before being allowed to work.

Doctors may not “prescribe” medical cannabis, they may merely “recommend” it. This, again, is because the product is still illegal by federal law. Once a doctor recommends medical cannabis for a patient, that patient must apply for certification by the state of West Virginia. Once the state certifies the patient’s eligibility, that patient may go to a dispensary for whatever medical cannabis product the doctor recommended.

The variety of products available at New Leaf’s Martinsburg location is rather limited now, due to the newness of that dispensary. However, the product stock will soon begin to expand.

West Virginia officially legalized medical cannabis eight years ago, but progress getting the program up and running was excruciatingly slow. First, it was difficult for the state to find a bank willing to take deposits for the program. And then second, there were disputes among growers, producers and dispensaries as to what the rules should be.

But medical cannabis is finally available for those in the Eastern Panhandle who need it. Many of the customers at New Leaf’s Martinsburg location had been driving to Morgantown for medical cannabis. Out of nine dispensaries already opened in our state, the closest one to those of us in the Eastern Panhandle was Morgantown, which is halfway to Charleston!

The New Leaf dispensary in Martinsburg will be a tremendous help to all those folks who’ve had to drive to Morgantown. And it will prove to be a tremendous addition to health care in the Eastern Panhandle.

John Doyle is a delegate for the West Virginia District 67. He can be reached at johndoyle@wvhouse.gov.