                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

CANNABIS PUBLIC HEALTH ADVISORY COUNCIL; PURPOSE; MEMBERSHIP; QUORUM; MEETINGS;
COMPENSATION AND EXPENSES; DUTIES (§ 4.1-603)

A. The Cannabis Public Health Advisory Council (the Advisory Council) is
established as an advisory council to the Board. The purpose of the Advisory
Council is to assess and monitor public health issues, trends, and impacts
related to marijuana and marijuana legalization and make recommendations
regarding health warnings, retail marijuana and retail marijuana products safety
and product composition, and public health awareness, programming, and related
resource needs.

B. The Advisory Council shall have a total membership of 21 members that shall
consist of 14 nonlegislative citizen members and seven ex officio members.
Nonlegislative citizen members of the Council shall be citizens of the
Commonwealth and shall reflect the racial, ethnic, gender, and geographic
diversity of the Commonwealth. Nonlegislative citizen members shall be appointed
as follows: four to be appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules, one of whom
shall be a representative from the Virginia Foundation for Healthy Youth, one of
whom shall be a representative from the Virginia Chapter of the American Academy
of Pediatrics, one of whom shall be a representative from the Medical Society of
Virginia, and one of whom shall be a representative from the Virginia
Pharmacists Association;  six to be appointed by the Speaker of the House of
Delegates, one of whom shall be a representative from a community services
board, one of whom shall be a person or health care provider with expertise in
substance use disorder treatment and recovery, one of whom shall be a person or
health care provider with expertise in substance use disorder prevention, one of
whom shall be a person with experience in disability rights advocacy, one of
whom shall be a person with experience in veterans health care, and one of whom
shall be a person with a social or health equity background;  and four to be
appointed by the Governor, subject to confirmation by the General Assembly, one
of whom shall be a representative of a local health district, one of whom shall
be a person who is part of the cannabis industry, one of whom shall be an
academic researcher knowledgeable about cannabis, and one of whom shall be a
registered medical cannabis patient.
			The Secretary of Health and Human Resources, the Commissioner of Health, the
Commissioner of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services, the Commissioner
of Agriculture and Consumer Services, the Director of the Department of Health
Professions, the Director of the Department of Forensic Science, and the Chief
Executive Officer of the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority, or their
designees, shall serve ex officio with voting privileges. Ex officio members of
the Advisory Council shall serve terms coincident with their terms of office.
			After the initial staggering of terms, nonlegislative citizen members shall
be appointed for a term of four years. Appointments to fill vacancies, other
than by expiration of a term, shall be for the unexpired terms. Vacancies shall
be filled in the same manner as the original appointments. All members may be
reappointed.
			The Advisory Council shall be chaired by the Secretary of Health and Human
Resources or his designee. The Advisory Council shall select a vice-chairman
from among its membership. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.
The Advisory Council shall meet at least two times each year and shall meet at
the call of the chairman or whenever the majority of the members so request.
			The Advisory Council shall have the authority to create subgroups with
additional stakeholders, experts, and state agency representatives.

C. Members shall receive no compensation for the performance of their duties but
shall be reimbursed for all reasonable and necessary expenses incurred in the
performance of their duties as provided in &#xA7;&#xA7; 2.2-2813 and 2.2-2825.

D. The Advisory Council shall have the following duties, in addition to duties
that may be necessary to fulfill its purpose as described in subsection A:

   1. To review multi-agency efforts to support collaboration and a unified
   approach on public health responses related to marijuana and marijuana
   legalization in the Commonwealth and to develop recommendations as necessary.

   2. To monitor changes in drug use data related to marijuana and marijuana
   legalization in the Commonwealth and the science and medical information
   relevant to the potential health risks associated with such drug use, and make
   appropriate recommendations to the Department of Health and the Board.

   3. Submit an annual report to the Governor and the General Assembly for
   publication as a report document as provided in the procedures of the Division
   of Legislative Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents
   and reports. The chairman shall submit to the Governor and the General
   Assembly an annual executive summary of the interim activity and work of the
   Advisory Council no later than the first day of each regular session of the
   General Assembly. The executive summary shall be submitted as a report
   document as provided in the procedures of the Division of Legislative
   Automated Systems for the processing of legislative documents and reports and
   shall be posted on the General Assembly&#8217;s website.

HISTORY: 2021, Sp. Sess. I, cc. 550, 551.