By Henry Culvyhouse, Mountain State Spotlight
West Virginia Treasurer Larry Pack (R) has announced he will distribute $38 million in accumulated medical marijuana revenue under the program's original statutory mandate, bypassing Gov. Patrick Morrisey's (R) recent veto of legislation that would have directed those funds elsewhere.
Morrisey vetoed a bill last week that would have required the money to support homelessness services and expedite child abuse and neglect court cases, arguing the spending would constrain future budget flexibility. In his veto letter, he wrote: “West Virginia must do better to plan for the future, and it can’t totally pre-commit future revenue streams like this if it’s going to have reserves to invest more in roads, water, sewer, site selection, rail, and future tax cuts.” Governor’s office spokesman Lars Dalseide characterized the dispute as being about responsible allocation, not whether to spend the funds.
Pack’s office said all $38 million will be distributed as prescribed by existing state law: more than half to the Office of Medical Cannabis, with the remainder split between substance abuse treatment grants and law enforcement grants—disregarding the governor’s stated preference for reserving funds for infrastructure and tax reductions.
The funds had gone unspent since the medical marijuana program launched. An October investigation found $34 million sitting in a Treasurer’s Office account, since grown to $38 million over four years. Pack’s office cited legal uncertainty surrounding marijuana’s Schedule I federal classification as the reason for the prolonged delay.
Pack is the third treasurer to grapple with the issue. Treasurer John Perdue (D) refused to hold the money after the Medical Cannabis Act passed in 2018, and his successor Riley Moore (R), who won the 2020 race, also never released the funds.
Del. Evan Worrell (R-Cabell) introduced legislation in the 2026 Legislative Session after reading about the backlog. His bill would have directed the money for one year to a commission addressing thousands of child abuse and neglect court cases and to homelessness services, with substance abuse research, treatment, and the commission continuing in subsequent years.
Treasurer’s Office spokeswoman Carrie Smith said the office had spent months working through the legal complexities. The funds have now been transferred to the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Health.