These days, it is hard to overlook the medicinal value of marijuana. What was once taboo gateway drug, is now something that patients with cancer, epilepsy, and other disorders turn to for symptom relief and treatment. I was very pleased when Ohio passed House Bill 523 because it signaled a major win for medical marijuana patients and advocates. It was also indicative that our state legislators were listening to the majority of Ohioans who supported the legalization of medical marijuana. Soon, qualifying patients in Ohio will have the opportunity to obtain a registration card in order to purchase medical marijuana. This post is designed to serve as a guide for individuals who plan on registering as patients.
The most common question I receive on this topic is, “Who is eligible to obtain a medical marijuana card?” The answer – any person with one of the following qualifying medical conditions: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, positive status for HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, sickle cell anemia, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and ulcerative colitis. However, the law also provides that new conditions may be added to this list in the future by way of petitioning the Ohio Medical Board.
If you have one of those qualifying medical conditions, then the next step is to find a certified physician to recommend medical marijuana. Fun fact – the correct term is “recommendation” instead of “prescription” due to the illegal classification of marijuana at the federal level (expect a future blog post discussing the absurdity of how marijuana is still a federal schedule 1 drug). It should be noted that not all physicians will be certified to recommend medical marijuana. Physicians will have to go through at least two hours of continuing medical education pertaining to medical marijuana in order to provide these recommendations. The law states that patients and physicians must have an established and maintained bona-fide relationship. Your physician will assist you in completing your patient registration submission, and go over the possible risks and benefits of using medical marijuana before your recommendation is issued.
The state will charge a non-refundable fee for each patient application. The annual fee for patient registration will be $50, but patients who qualify for indigent or veteran status will be eligible for a discounted annual fee of $25. Once your fees are paid, and your application is submitted, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy will review it for accuracy before approving the recommendation. Upon receipt of a valid recommendation, a patient will be able to visit a retail dispensary and purchase up to a 90-day supply of medical marijuana. The 90-day supply is based on the THC-content of the plant material, edible, oil, or other form of medical marijuana the patient is purchasing.
Unfortunately, patients will have to wait a little while before the first retail dispensary opens in Ohio. The law requires that the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) be fully operational by September 8, 2018. The good news is that MMCP is diligently working to meet these deadlines. There is even a good chance that the retail dispensaries will be open and operating before this cutoff date. We will keep our fingers crossed, and continue to update you on this subject as additional progress is made.
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