CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Drinking raw milk will soon be legal in the Mountain State, after Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed a bill Thursday allowing for herd sharing.
Direct sale of raw milk will still remain illegal, but residents may buy shares in an animal to receive milk from it.
A document must be signed by those purchasing an animal acknowledging the risks of drinking raw milk.
Tomblin vetoed a similar bill last year, but his office said that this year’s bill had provisions that eased his concerns about public health.
Local health officials had been critical of the bill, pointing out the bacteria risks of drinking raw milk as opposed to pasteurized milk.