Ohio Medical Marijuana Registry: What You Need to Know
Ohio's Medical Marijuana program has been legal since House Bill 523 passed in 2016. However, the process of obtaining Medical Marijuana and registering with the state's Medical Marijuana Registry can be confusing. Here's everything you need to know to get started.
Qualifying Conditions
Ohio's Medical Marijuana program is limited to individuals with specific qualifying conditions. As of now, the list includes:
- AIDS
- Alzheimer's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
- Crohn's disease
- Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Parkinson's disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Sickle cell anemia
- Spinal cord disease or injury
- Tourette's syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Ulcerative colitis
Ohio's Medical Marijuana Registry
To be added to Ohio's Medical Marijuana Registry, a patient must be a resident of Ohio. Out-of-state residents can only access Medical Marijuana in Ohio if their home state has a reciprocity agreement with Ohio. Ohio currently has reciprocity agreements with Arizona, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and West Virginia.
To register with the Medical Marijuana Registry, patients must have a qualifying condition and receive a recommendation from a certified physician. Patients must then fill out an online application and pay a $50 fee to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
After approval, patients will receive a Medical Marijuana ID card that allows them to purchase Medical Marijuana from licensed dispensaries in Ohio.
Dispensary Regulations
Ohio currently has 57 licensed Medical Marijuana dispensaries throughout the state. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is now issuing 73 additional licenses to keep up with demand.
dispensaries are required to follow strict Regulations, including limits on the amount of Medical Marijuana a patient can purchase in a 90-day period. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy recently announced that it will increase purchase limits to 9 ounces over a 90-day period.
Helpful Resources
If you have additional questions about Ohio's Medical Marijuana program, you can call the state's toll-free help line: 1-833-4OH-MMCP (1-833-464-6627). The help line is staffed by knowledgeable professionals who can answer any questions you may have about the program.
Lawmakers in Austin are considering whether to expand Texas' Medical Marijuana program to include chronic pain in instances when opioids are not effective. Senator Mary Felzkowski (R) has already expressed her plan to reintroduce legislation that would create a state-run medical cannabis program in Wisconsin.
Ohio's Medical Marijuana program is still relatively new, and lawmakers are continually updating and changing Regulations. However, the program has already helped many Ohioans manage chronic pain and other debilitating conditions. If you believe you may qualify for Ohio's Medical Marijuana program, speak with a certified physician and begin the registration process today.
