Welcome to West Virginia State NORML

NORML's mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to achieve the repeal of marijuana prohibition so that the responsible use of cannabis by adults is no longer subject to penalty.

"Prohibition goes beyond the bounds of reason in that it attempts to control a man's appetite by legislation and makes a crime out of things that are not crimes.  A prohibition law strikes a blow at the very principles upon which our government was founded."  (Abraham Lincoln, 1840)

HOW DANGEROUS IS MARIJUANA COMPARED WITH OTHER SUBSTANCES? Number of American deaths per year that result directly or primarily from the following selected causes nationwide, according to World Almanacs, Life Insurance Actuarial (death) Rates, and the last 20 years of U.S. Surgeon Generals' reports.
TOBACCO	340,000 to 450,000
ALCOHOL (Not including 50% of all highway deaths and 65% of all murders)	150,000+
ASPIRIN (Including deliberate overdose)	180 to 1,000+
CAFFEINE (From stress, ulcers, and triggering irregular heartbeats, etc.)	1,000 to 10,000
"LEGAL" DRUG OVERDOSE (Deliberate or accidental) from legal, prescribed or patent medicines and/or mixing with alcohol - e.g. Valium/alcohol	14,000 to 27,000
ILLICIT DRUG OVERDOSE (Deliberate or accidental) from all illegal drugs.	3,800 to 5,200
MARIJUANA	0
(Marijuana users also have the same or lower incidence of murders and highway deaths and accidents than the general non-marijuana using population as a whole. Crancer Study, UCLA; U.S. Funded ($6 million), First & Second Jamaican Studies, 1968 to 1974; Costa Rican Studies, 1980 to 1982; et al. LOWEST TOXICITY 100% of the studies done at dozens of American universities and research facilities show pot toxicity does not exist. Medical history does not record anyone dying from an overdose of marijuana (UCLA, Harvard, Temple, etc.).  For far, far too long marijuana smokers and marijuana law reformers have remained politically invisible to their elected officials.  This must immediately change. If it is your strong desire that marijuana laws need to change, stop cursing the darkness and light a candle. Even if you never make a much-needed financial donation to NORML, you're still empowered with the ability to play a major role in ending marijuana prohibition. Get Active, Get NORML! 1.) Contact Your Elected Policy Makers ; 2.) Join and Support Your Local NORML Chapter ;    2a.) Start Your Own NORML Chapter 3.) Help Spread The Good Word About NORML's Important Work by: - Printing and Distributing NORML-related info ; - Circulate NORML's Public Service Announcements ; - Post and Circulate NORML's Internet Banners and Stickers 4.) So you want to have a marijuana rally?  Find out all you need to know.   "We must be the change we see in the world."  Gandhi Contact West Virginia State NORML @ Normlwestvirginia@yahoo.com  Be Sure to Visit www.wvnorml.org                                                         West Virginia Marijuana Laws  conditional mandatory hemp Details   About this report Incarceration Fine Possession Any amount misdemeanor 90 days - 6 months $1,000 Conviction of possession of less than 15 grams triggers an automatic conditional discharge. Sale or Cultivation Any amount felony 1 - 5 years $15,000 Sale to a minor or within 1,000 feet of a school felony 2 years MMS* variable Transport into state with intent to deliver felony 1 - 5 years $15,000 *Mandatory minimum sentence. Miscellaneous (paraphernalia, license suspensions, drug tax stamps, etc...) Paraphernalia sale misdemeanor 6 months - 1 year $5,000 Subsequent offenses double the possible penalties. Details Possession of marijuana is punishable by 90 days - 6 months in jail and a fine up to $1,000.  Possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance is a felony and can result in imprisonment of not less than one year and not more than five years, or a fine of fifteen thousand dollars, or both. Conviction of possession of less than 15 grams triggers an automatic conditional discharge.  Conditional discharge does not apply to a defendant who has previously been convicted of any offense relating to narcotic drugs or marijuana. Cultivation, delivery or sale is punishable by 1 - 5 years in prison and a fine up to $15,000. Sale to a minor or sale within 1,000 feet of a school requires a two-year mandatory minimum sentence for the sale. Transportation of marijuana into the state with the intent to deliver is punishable by 1 - 5 years in prison and a fine up to $15,000. Subsequent offenses double the possible penalties. Operating an illegal drug paraphernalia business is punishable by 6 months - 1 year in jail and a fine up to $5,000. Conditional release: The state allows conditional release or alternative or diversion sentencing for people facing their first prosecutions. Usually, conditional release lets a person opt for probation rather than trial. After successfully completing probation, the individual's criminal record does not reflect the charge. Mandatory minimum sentence: When someone is convicted of an offense punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence, the judge must sentence the defendant to the mandatory minimum sentence or to a higher sentence. The judge has no power to sentence the defendant to less time than the mandatory minimum. A prisoner serving an MMS for a federal offense and for most state offenses will not be eligible for parole. Even peaceful marijuana smokers sentenced to "life MMS" must serve a life sentence with no chance of parole. Hemp: This state has an active hemp industry . Hemp is a distinct variety of the plant species cannabis sativa L. that contains minimal (less than 1%) amounts of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the primary psychoactive ingredient in marijuana. Various parts of the plant can be utilized in the making of textiles, paper, paints, clothing, plastics, cosmetics, foodstuffs, insulation, animal feed, and other products. For more information see NORML's Industrial Use section.   Contact West Virginia State NORML @ Normlwestvirginia@yahoo.com   DOING NOTHING ACCOMPLISHES NOTHING!!!  Stand up for what you believe in!!  Help in the fight to end marijuana prohibition!      Action Alerts from NORML Massachusetts Legislature Considers Medical Marijuana Ask Your Senator To Support S.B. 998 GO » Missouri Considers Medical Marijuana GO » VA Legislature Considers Draconian Drugged Driving Legislation Oppose HB 1182 GO » Oppose House Bill 149 Stop Alaska from Increasing Marijuana Penalties GO » Ohio Considers 'Drugged Driving' Legislation GO »