A West Virginia physician registered with the Office of Medical Cannabis can certify your serious medical condition. Here's what changes when you step onto federal park land.
West Virginia's medical cannabis program is run by the Office of Medical Cannabis (OMC). It's medical only — there's no adult-use market in the state.
A West Virginia physician registered with the OMC certifies your serious medical condition.
Use the OMC portal with ID and proof of West Virginia residency; the $50 fee can be waived for hardship.
The Office of Medical Cannabis reviews your application and approves your card.
Your digital card lasts one year, then renews with a new certification.
Rafting, climbing, and hiking bring many of us into the gorge. Park land follows federal rules, not West Virginia's medical program.
Park lands and waters around Oak Hill are federal, and federal rules apply there.
The Park Service has long prohibited marijuana in park units, regardless of state law.
The federal rescheduling of state-licensed medical cannabis hasn't been clearly addressed by park rules.
Violating park rules can bring federal fines and up to six months in jail.
New River Gorge National Park and Preserve, Gauley River National Recreation Area, and Bluestone National Scenic River. See the park's Superintendent's Compendium for its rules.
Simple rule: leave your medicine at home or at your lodging when you head into the park — and never use it before rafting, climbing, hiking, or driving.
Based on 36 CFR §2.35 and National Park Service guidance as of 2026. General information only, not legal advice.
State application fee
Available for financial hardship
Card term, renewed annually
Where your card applies
From the Office of Medical Cannabis. The physician visit is separate.
Your physician must certify one of the conditions in the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act.
Confirm current details with the Office of Medical Cannabis.
About 15 miles south; we couldn't confirm a dispensary open within Oak Hill. Bring your card and photo ID, and confirm hours before you go.
Every licensed dispensary in West Virginia is medical; see the Office of Medical Cannabis for the full list.
A gentle rail-trail through the woods right in Oak Hill — city land, easy grades, and quiet miles.
“I guide on the river all summer. My medicine stays home, and I never use it before a trip — that's a rule I don't bend.”
— Cody B., Oak Hill“My back pain qualified me. I use it in the evening at home, and the park stays a clean, clear-headed escape.”
— Renee D., FayettevilleThe Park Service has long prohibited marijuana in park units regardless of state law, and the 2026 federal change hasn't been clearly addressed. Leave it outside the park.
If it's National Park Service land, federal rules apply. When in doubt, assume you're on park land.
No. Besides federal rules, using any impairing medicine before rafting, climbing, or driving is dangerous.
No — it's a city trail. State rules apply there, including the ban on public use.
The state fee is $50 a year, and the OMC offers a waiver for financial hardship. The physician visit is separate.
On the Office of Medical Cannabis website.
Oak Hill, Fayette County's largest city, was named for an oak tree on its elevated town site. It's a gateway to New River Gorge National Park and Preserve and home to the historic Oak Hill Railroad Depot. Oak Hill residents follow the same statewide rules as every patient in West Virginia's medical cannabis program.
West Virginia's program was created by the Medical Cannabis Act (Senate Bill 386) in 2017, with dispensary sales beginning in 2021. Adult-use cannabis is not legal in West Virginia.
Public use is prohibited and driving impaired is illegal. Federally, state-licensed medical cannabis moved to Schedule III in 2026, but it remains a controlled substance. See the Office of Medical Cannabis for current rules.
Appointments with West Virginia physicians registered with the OMC.