3rd time may not be the charm to pass medical marijuana in WV - Beckley, Bluefield & Lewisburg News, Weather, Sports

3rd time may not be the charm to pass medical marijuana in WV

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By Jessie Gavin, Digital Journalist - email

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RALEIGH COUNTY -

Try, try and try again.

For the third time, a bill attempting to legalize medical marijuana has been introduced in the Mountain State.

Taylor County Delegate Mike Manypenny introduced the bill Friday to the House Health and Human Resources Committee. In two previous attempts the bill has been shot down and not heard.

"The third time is not the charm," said a South Carolina man.

Some do not believe that 3 will be the lucky number to legalize medical marijuana.

"I think overall West Virginia is more of a conservative state and I don't think the majority of the population would support such an action," said Gary Deland of South Carolina.

One Beckley woman worries that if the law passes, it will continue the Mountain States perceived drug crisis.

"It just leads to more stronger drugs, because everything that's good turns out to be abused," Janette Louery said.

And another Beckley woman shared the same view.

"It's crazy. Why would you do something like that? You already get people in trouble for it so why make it legal and then make more trouble? That's insane," said Beckley's Brittney West.

But not everyone agrees that legalizing marijuana for medical use is such a bad idea.

"I believe personally that it should be legalized because in all the previous decades and the billions and billions of dollars we spend in the war on drugs, we have not decreased marijuana usage, it actually has increased. So if it was legalized, even for other than medical usage, then it could be taxed and regulated, and the money that we use on the war on drugs could better be spent on programs here at home," added Ohio's Shelia Foster.

Today, 18 states and Washington, D.C. recognize the legal use of medical marijuana.