Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, the Democratic candidate for governor of West Virginia, speaks with reporters in May during a special session of the Legislature. (File Photo)

CHARLESTON — Huntington Mayor Steve Williams, the Democratic candidate for governor of West Virginia, said he supports legalizing cannabis for recreational use by adults.

But his opponent, Republican Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, said legalizing another drug is not the answer to the state’s substance use disorder crisis.

In a statement released Wednesday morning, Williams said any legalization of recreational cannabis should be decided by voters through a statewide constitutional amendment which would have to be approved by a vote of the West Virginia Legislature. But Williams said West Virginia should not be left in the dust on this issue.

“West Virginia has an opportunity to join the growing number of states, including Maryland, Ohio, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., that have taken bold steps to legalize cannabis, and I believe it’s time we give the people a voice on this issue,” Williams said. “One avenue to move forward is to put legalization on the ballot and let voters decide.”

Williams said legalizing adult-use recreational cannabis could have a positive effect on tax revenues in the state. According to a 2016 report by the left-of-center West Virginia Center for Budget and Policy, legalizing recreational cannabis could generate between $26 million and $45 million annually from use by state residents. When factoring in out-of-state visitors, the potential tax revenue could be between $116 million and $194 million per year.

Williams believes that the increase in tax revenue could help provide funding for education, health care, and infrastructure projects.

He also believes the legal cannabis industry could drive new jobs, businesses, and tourism, providing additional tax revenue similar to states like Colorado and California.

“We can look to states like Colorado and California, where cannabis legalization has spurred economic growth and created thousands of jobs,” Williams said. “West Virginia can follow their lead to diversify our economy and attract new opportunities.”

The legalization of recreational cannabis could also lower the societal costs associated with the criminal justice system, Williams believes. According to a policy paper by the Bridge Initiative for Science and Technology Policy, Leadership, and Communications at West Virginia University, arrests and criminal convictions for marijuana possession add to barriers to employment for those with records. Those arrested for possession also tend to be racial minorities and those in poverty.

“From a societal perspective, about 1,650 individuals were arrested in West Virginia for marijuana possession or sales in 2021,” wrote Crosby Hipes, an assistant professor at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology. “The time these people spent in court and prison reduces the time they are able to work, provide tax revenues to their communities, and provide for their families. Taxpayer dollars may then end up going towards funding programs, such as SNAP or SSI, for families left without a main earner.”

According to the policy brief, inmates in the state correctional system cost taxpayers $27,458 per inmate per year. Williams believes that legalizing recreational cannabis will take the strain off West Virginia’s overcrowded jails/prisons and the court system.

“West Virginians are being arrested and incarcerated for low level, non-violent offenses that aren’t even considered crimes in other states which unnecessarily burdens our justice system,” Williams said. “By legalizing cannabis, we can reduce unnecessary arrests and refocus our law enforcement efforts on more serious crimes.”

It is unclear whether there is support in West Virginia for legalizing recreational cannabis at the state level. But a 2021 poll conducted in West Virginia by the U.S. Cannabis Council found that 70% of respondents supported ending federal prohibitions on recreational cannabis.

West Virginia legalized cannabis for medical use in 2017. Once a patient is certified to use medical cannabis by a physician approved by DHHR, patients can go to medcanwv.org to sign up for the medical cannabis card.

Serious medical conditions include cancer, immunodeficiencies, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, neuropathies, Huntington’s disease, Crohn’s disease, post-traumatic stress disorder, seizures, sickle cell anemia, terminal illnesses, and severe chronic and intractable pain.

However, cannabis remains a schedule I drug under the federal Controlled Substances Act along with heroin, LSD, bath salts, and ecstasy. Federal law makes first-time possession a misdemeanor, though a third offense or more can be increased to a felony. In West Virginia, possession of small amounts of cannabis is also a misdemeanor.

Williams, now in his third term as mayor of Huntington, worked to turn around the city’s reputation following its opioid crisis due to heroin. But now fentanyl has pushed out heroin and is often combined with other drugs, including marijuana. Williams said legalizing and regulating adult-use cannabis would ensure that the marijuana being used is not tainted by fentanyl.

“By legalizing and regulating cannabis, we can create a safer, controlled environment for consumers and ensure that products are tested and free from harmful substances,” Williams said.

Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, the Republican candidate for governor, has made combating the state’s substance use disorder crisis a major part of his campaign. Morrisey has opposed recreational cannabis legalization in the past. In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Morrisey said the next governor should be focused on pressuring the federal government to keep fentanyl out of the U.S. instead of legalizing the use of cannabis.

“I’m laser focused on doing everything we can to make sure we fight the opioid epidemic in West Virginia,” Morrisey said. “That means addressing the Chinese fentanyl coming in through the southern border and getting the victims the care they need. I’m not for adding more drugs into our state.”

Williams accused Morrisey of opposing recreational cannabis legalization because Morrisey is in the pocket of the pharmaceutical industry.

“My opponent opposes legalization because Big Pharma opposes it,” Williams said. “Patrick Morrisey wants to protect a lucrative revenue stream that has made billions for Big Pharma while wreaking havoc and bringing misery and death to West Virginia.”

While Morrisey once worked for a firm that represented opioid manufacturers and distributors, both Morrisey and Williams brought major lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies. While Huntington and Cabell County’s lawsuit is still pending, Morrisey – along with city and county governments – secured a nearly $1 billion settlement with opioid manufacturers and distributors.

Democratic lawmakers in the West Virginia Legislature have introduced joint resolutions before – including earlier this year – to put before voters an amendment to the state Constitution to allow for the possession, manufacture and sale of cannabis. Those resolutions have never been taken up. Joint resolutions in the state Senate and House of Delegates require two-thirds support – 23 votes in the Senate and 67 votes in the House.

This is the second effort by Williams to encourage the Legislature to vote for a joint resolution to put a matter before the voters in November. Williams launched a petition drive to encourage Gov. Jim Justice to place an item on a special session agenda for a joint resolution to place a new constitutional amendment before the voters in the general election in November to provide protections for reproductive freedom in the West Virginia Constitution.

Williams said both efforts to put the question to voters about reproductive freedom and legalizing recreational cannabis are part of his commitment to personal freedom for West Virginians.

“Adults in our state deserve the right to make their own choices about cannabis, just as they do with alcohol and tobacco. The people should have the final say on this matter,” Williams said. “This isn’t just a matter of policy – it’s about trust in the people. Let’s empower West Virginians to decide the future of cannabis legalization for adults in our state.”