Charleston, WV (WOAY) A federal judge is allowing a lawsuit challenging the state’s long-standing restrictions on new methadone clinics to move forward.
U.S. District Judge Robert C. Chambers declined the state’s request to dismiss the case, which was filed by Solutions Oriented Addiction Response of West Virginia (SOAR-WV).
The group is challenging West Virginia’s nearly two-decade-old moratorium on new methadone clinics, as well as state zoning restrictions.
The lawsuit argues those restrictions make it harder for people with opioid use disorder to access treatment and violate the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act.
SOAR-WV says there are currently just nine methadone clinics statewide, leaving many West Virginians with long distances to travel for treatment.
The ACLU, ACLU of West Virginia, and Kaplan & Grady filed the case.
The judge’s ruling allows the lawsuit to proceed, but does not decide the underlying claims.
