At your medical marijuana evaluation, the physician will  discuss with you  your medical history and give you a basic examination.

Once our physician confirms your eligibility for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, he or she will create a profile for you in the program’s Patient and Caregiver Registry. Following this, confirm your registration through the Patient and Caregiver Registry and take any indicated steps required to complete that registration.

There are two ways to find a physician licensed in Ohio and certified to recommend medical marijuana in the state. You can view a list the Ohio Medical Board maintains of all physicians licensed in Ohio who are certified to provide medical marijuana recommendations. Find a current list of physicians with an active certificate to recommend medical cannabis here. Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment to visit with one of our doctors at MMJcard4less.

If you qualify to register with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program as a patient with veteran or indigent status, you will receive a 50% reduction in your registration fee. To qualify, when you receive approval to register with the program from a certified Ohio medical marijuana doctor, the doctor must also indicate when providing your registration and setting up your profile that you qualify to register with special status. You must provide the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy with documentation providing your special status.

To receive indigent status with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, you must present a letter or document from the U.S. Social Security Administration confirming the following information:

• Your identity
• How much in monthly Social Security Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability Income you will get over the calendar year for which you are registering with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.

A copy of this letter or document is also acceptable.

To receive veteran status with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, you must produce an original or copy of one of the following documents:

• Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans Identification Card
• Department of Defense Identification Card indicating your status as active, retired or temporary disability retirement.
• DD215, DD214 or National Guard Bureau certificate of military discharge that indicates your disposition of discharge.
• Report of separation from the St. Louis, Missouri National Archives National Personnel Records Center.

Whatever documentation you present to prove your veteran status must show that your veteran status is general, honorable, general under honorable conditions or released or discharged under conditions other than dishonorable.

All documents you present to prove any special status must include your date of birth. Email the documents to prove your special status to MMCPRegistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov or mail it to the following address:

State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy
MMCP Patient Registry
77 S. High Street, 17th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215

When applying as a patient with special status, you cannot pay your registration fee until after the Board of Pharmacy has approved your special status. Under these circumstances, you will note in the online Patient and Caregiver Registry that, while your request for special status is pending, the “Activate Card” button to initiate the payment process will remain unavailable. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy will not refund any registration fees you may pay prior to receiving approval for special status.

For any questions about registering for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program with veteran or indigent status, you can call the toll-free Ohio Medical Marijuana Help Line at 1-833-464-6627 (1-833-4OH-MMCP) or email your inquiry to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy at MMCPRegistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov.

Many, though not all, dispensaries offer veterans a discount on medical marijuana purchases. Check with the dispensary you’re considering visiting to find out if you can receive a veterans discount on your purchases there.

The fee to register as a caregiver with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy is $50.

The link the Ohio Board of Pharmacy sends you to confirm and complete your registration with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program remains active for 90 days. Note, however, that you can only click it once, after which it instantly deactivates.

Even though the activation link deactivates after you click it the first time, you do not have to complete your registration the first time you click the link. Rather, when you click the link, you are directed to a page where you will set up a password for your Patient and Caregiver Registry profile that you can use to save your progress in your registration and return to it later to complete it. To log back into your Registry account, simply visit www.ohiomedicalmarijuanaregistry.com and enter in your email address and your chosen password.

If you do not receive the email containing the link to activate your Patient and Caregiver Registry Profile, first check your email spam and junk folders to see if it was rerouted there. If you cannot find it there either, call the MMCP at 1-833-464-6627 or send an email to MMCPRegistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov. Provide your first and last name, birthdate and the email address you’d like to associate with your Registry profile. A representative will, then, email you a new registration link. Avoid providing any further identifying information in this communication.

When setting up your Registry account, you do not create a username. Rather, the email address you’ve associated with your account is your username. This means that, if, at any point, you change the email address associated with your account, you are also changing your username, as that new email address will become the one you use to log into your Registry account. If you have difficulty logging in to your Registry account after changing your email address, check the autofill settings in your web browser to make sure it is not automatically placing your old email address into the respective field in the login form.

A patient and caregiver can only use the same email address for the Registry accounts if the email address belongs to the caregiver. In such instances, the patient cannot complete activation of his or her profile until after the caregiver completes his or her registration, the authorizing physician links the caregiver to the patient and the Board of Pharmacy approves the caregiver’s registration. Barring this, everyone registering with the program must use a unique email address.

You are welcome to use any unique email address to set up your Registry profile, though it is highly recommended you only use one that belongs to an individual you trust and that you can easily access.

If your internet connection drops while you are completing the registration process or you experience any other issues during the process, call the MMCP at 1-833-464-6627 or email them at MMCPRegistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov. Provide your full name, birthdate and the email address you want to use with your account. An agent will, then, email a new registration link to that email you indicate. When contacting the MMCP, please do not provide any additional personal information.

Log in to your Registry page. In the Registry Details section, find the tab labeled “Caregivers,” and click it to see a list of your associated caregivers displayed.

After your physician approves you for medical marijuana, you must return for a follow-up visit and re-authorization once every year.

An Ohio medical marijuana card is valid for one year from the date it was issued. It expires on the last of the month of issuance. One exception to this is if a patient receives a terminal diagnosis, in which case his or her medical marijuana card expires six months from the date of issuance.

Unfortunately, federal restrictions prohibit individuals with a concealed carry permit (CCW) to also possess a legal medical marijuana card in the state. Although the databases for the Patient and Caregiver Registry and for CCWs cannot be cross-referenced, when you fill out an ATF form to purchase a firearm, you must a question, 11-E, which states: “Are you an unlawful user of, or addicted to, marijuana or any depressant, stimulant, narcotic drug, or any other controlled substance.” Since the laws in question are federal laws, and federal law still prohibits use of marijuana for any purpose, even if you had a valid Ohio medical marijuana card, the answer to this question would still have to be “Yes,” which would, in turn, disqualify you from purchasing that firearm. When concerned about the technicalities regarding marijuana and a concealed carry permit, consulting with a lawyer is best.

As a patient or caregiver in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, your personal information is held in the strictest confidence, as per laws and guidelines like the federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA.) According to these laws and guidelines, your identity and status as a patient can only be disclosed to specific individuals or organizations that you authorize ahead of time. Barring that, the only people authorized to view patient information in the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s Medical Marijuana Patient and Caregiver Registry are dispensaries, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy itself and the physician who authorized marijuana use to the specific patient whose record he or she is viewing. Furthermore, these individuals are all prohibited from sharing this information with anyone, including police. Police cannot verify active medical marijuana cards without the given patients’ permission. In addition, any physician outside of the OMMCP who has previously prescribed you medication does have access to the system that tracks all purchases of medical marijuana from state dispensaries, as well as all prescription drugs, or the OARRS.

Currently, home delivery of medical marijuana is not yet available in Ohio. If you need to procure medical marijuana and cannot leave the house, you can designate a caregiver to procure it for you.

Under Ohio law, residents may not grow marijuana without a cultivator’s license, even if that resident has a legitimate Ohio medical marijuana patient card. To obtain medical marijuana as a legal patient or caregiver, you must go to a dispensary licensed by the state.

Since marijuana is still illegal on the federal level, you may not carry it into any federal facility in Ohio, such as US post offices, national parks, federal courthouses and federally-subsidized housing.

If you are a legitimate Ohio medical marijuana patient in possession of medical marijuana when an Ohio law enforcement officer stops you for any reason, you are not required to disclose to that officer that you are in possession of medical marijuana, nor are you required to consent to be searched. If, however, an officer searches you and finds medical cannabis on your person, you should let the officer know immediately that you are a medical marijuana patient with a valid and active state medical marijuana card. Having a valid and active Ohio medical marijuana card does not, however, exempt you from other laws regarding marijuana use, such as consuming in public or while driving. Having a valid and active Ohio medical marijuana card also does not exempt you from federal laws regarding marijuana use and possession if it is a federal law enforcement officer who stops you.

Having a valid and active medical marijuana patient card in Ohio does not authorize you to operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana. If you are stopped for driving recklessly or you are in an auto accident, an officer or judge can require you to take a drug test. If that test reveals you have marijuana in your system, you can be charged with a driving-related offense or found at found for an accident, even if you are legally authorized to possess and use medical marijuana in the state.

An Ohio medical marijuana card only allows patients to possess marijuana within state borders. It is not legal to travel across state lines with medical marijuana, regardless of your patient status. Likewise, it is illegal to enter a federal airport or travel in an airplane with medical marijuana, even if you are traveling from one state where medical marijuana is legal to another such state.

Ohio law forbids marijuana products purchased outside Ohio to

Whether it’s you or someone you know who is struggling with addiction or substance abuse, call 1-877-275-6364 for assistance. If you have children, you can find information and resources at StartTalking.Ohio.gov for speaking with them early about the value of leading a healthy and drug-free life.

Minors in Ohio can obtain authorization to use legal medical marijuana. The physician authorizing a minor must, however, possess an active certificate to recommend medical marijuana and obtain the consent of that minor’s parent or other person legally authorized to provide medical consent.

Both the minor him or herself and the minor’s adult caregiver must present an official and unexpired ID card to the physician authorizing him or her to be a patient in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Program before that physician can enter the patient into the state’s Patient and Caregiver Registry. Accepted forms of ID include the following:

• US Passport
• Ohio State ID
• Ohio State Driver’s License
• Another ID card the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles issued

For the purposes of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, a caregiver is a person authorized by a registered Ohio medical marijuana patient to procure, possess and administer medical cannabis to that patient.

A patient registered with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program is allowed to designate as many as two caregivers.

One individual can serve as the designated caregiver for as many as two registered medical marijuana patients.

A patient does not need to designate a caregiver as long as the patient is at least 18 years of age. Any medical marijuana patient registered in the State of Ohio who is under 18 years of age must have at least one designated caregiver who is at least 21 years old.

To be a caregiver in the Ohio medical marijuana program, the patient you care for must be registered in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program and let his or her physician know that he or she has chosen you as his or her caregiver. Following this, the doctor will create a caregiver profile for you in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program Patient and Caregiver Registry. Patients in the program who are minors are required to have a caregiver who is at least 18 years of age. Once the patient’s physician has completed creating your caregiver profile in the registry, you must then confirm your registration through the registry and take any indicated steps required to complete that registration. Note that for your caregiver registration to be activated, it must first receive approval from the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.

The fee to register as a caregiver with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy is $25.

In order to receive indigent or veteran status as a medical marijuana caregiver in Ohio, the patient you care for must also qualify for veteran or indigent status; otherwise, even if you qualify for this status, you still will not receive the registration fee reduction.

A person may only be considered a caregiver for a specific patient. That means, if you do not have a registered medical marijuana patient who has indicated you as his or her caregiver, the State of Ohio does not consider you a legal medical marijuana caregiver. The Ohio Board of Pharmacy must also approve your caregiver registration in order for you to legally purchase medical marijuana on behalf of that specific patient.

Log in to your Registry page. In the Registry Details section, find the tab labeled “Patients,” and click it to see a list of your associated patients displayed.

To apply for and receive a medical marijuana CTR, you must possess an active and unrestricted DO or MD license issued by the Ohio State Medical Board. You must also undergo two hours minimum of continuing medical education aimed at assist you in properly diagnosing qualifying medical conditions, treating them with medical marijuana and potential drug interactions. To review the complete requirements to get a certificate to recommend medical marijuana, review Rule 4731-32-02 of the Ohio Administrative Code.

To qualify for a certificate to recommend medical marijuana, the Ohio Osteopathic Association (OOA) and Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) must approve you as a medical marijuana CME. To learn more about the requirements to receive this approval, visit the Medical Use of Marijuana in Ohio page of the OSMA website. You can also request additional information from the OOA.

A physician recommending medical marijuana to any patient must see that patient in person at once each year. Recommending physicians must also comply with the medical board’s medical marijuana control program Standard of Care Rule: OAC 4731-32-03.

If you’ve never been to a medical marijuana dispensary before, fear not. It’s actually a quite simple, safe and, even, enjoyable experience. When you arrive, a security person will greet you outside the front door and ask to see your Ohio medical marijuana ID card. No one can enter the dispensary with you unless they are registered Ohio medical marijuana patients or caregivers themselves or registered employees of the given dispensary. Once you enter, a friendly staff-person will greet you to answer any questions you may and direct you to the appropriate counter or line to stand in to purchase what you want. If you need, the staff-person can even help you pick out the best medical marijuana products to serve your needs. After you reach the counter and a salesperson shows you the product options available to you, you can make your selection and pay for your purchase. You are not permitted to consume medical marijuana in a dispensary. Therefore, once you make your purchase, you must exit the facility. Throughout your experience, security staff are keeping you safe by monitoring activity both within and outside the dispensary.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy issued 56 provisional dispensary licenses in June of 2018. View the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Board’s Medical Marijuana Dispensary Map to see the dispensaries currently in operation across the state.

Ohio State law prohibits medical marijuana dispensaries from setting up with 500 feet of any school, playground, place of worship or public library or park.

On the News page of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program website, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy announces any new award of a Certificate of Operation to a dispensary. You can register at the bottom of this page to receive news updates in your email inbox.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is no longer accepting dispensary license applications at this time. You can review the complete list of application materials previously required to acquire a dispensary license in Ohio at the Request for Application page.

When a medical marijuana dispensary in one state honors medical marijuana cards issued by another state, that is called reciprocity. The Ohio Department of Pharmacy is seeking reciprocity agreements with other states with medical marijuana programs similar to Ohio’s, but have not yet arranged any such agreements. In order to establish reciprocity with another state, two conditions must be true: the medical marijuana guidelines and regulations of both states must be significantly similar, and the other state must also agree to recognize Ohio medical marijuana patient and caregiver cards.

Because marijuana is still against the law at the federal level, health insurance does not cover medical marijuana certification in Ohio.

Scientists and researchers have studied medical marijuana extensively over recent years, and have already learned a great deal about its therapeutic benefits. You can find a vast collection of resources for doctors and patients alike regarding the science of medical marijuana at the Americans for Safe Access website, including a small publication exploring how a patient can use medical cannabis to treat various conditions.

All the medical cannabis Ohio dispensaries sell come from a handful of licensed cultivators. The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy carefully regulates the facilities where these cultivators grow medical cannabis to ensure they adhere to stringent product-safety guidelines. Ohio law prohibits dispensaries from obtaining medical marijuana products for sale from any source beyond these licensed and regulated cultivators.

An updated list of all forms of medical cannabis currently authorized by the Ohio Administrative Code can be found in Rule 3796:8-2-01: Authorized medical marijuana forms and methods of administration. As of the effective date of this rule on September 8, 2017, the authorized forms are as follows:

• Edible, tincture, capsule and oil forms to administer orally
• Solid preparation and metered oil for vaporizing and plant material, known as flowers or buds, to administer through use of a vaporizer
• Ointments, creams and lotions to administer topically and patches to administer transdermally

In regards to vaporization devices, some limitations in the rules do apply. No vaporizer designed such that the medical cannabis comes in direct contact with the heating element of the device can be used for vaporizing the extracted resin of medical cannabis. In addition, the rules prohibit use of any vaporizers able to heat medical cannabis to temperatures at which the plant matter will burn. This rule is scheduled for a five-year review on September 8, 2022.

Although you can purchase marijuana flowers and other plant matter from an Ohio dispensary, those products are intended for vaporization, not smoking as, under current Ohio law, consuming marijuana by smoking it is still illegal, even for authorized medical patients. As such, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program has placed a strict ban on smoking marijuana.

Which form of medical cannabis is best for you to use depends on your personal preferences, your life circumstances and the conditions for which you are using medical cannabis. For example, if you suffer from a lung-related conditions, you may prefer edibles and other forms of oral administration, while, if you suffer from a digestive condition, vaporization may be better for you. Different forms of consuming medical cannabis differ in qualities like strength, how quickly the effects are felt and how long those effects last. Vaporization has a stronger initial effect but may not last as long as edibles, which take longer to take effect but can, then, be stronger and longer-lasting than through vaporization.

As with any new medicine, you should take caution when first consuming medical marijuana, whatever form you choose. Start with a low dose, and wait a while to notice what effect it has on your symptoms as well as any possible side effects, for example on your energy level or mental or emotional state. Take particular caution when trying any new edible cannabis, as it can be easier to take too much. While cannabis is considered non-toxic, overdosing on cannabis cannot cause significant harm, an excessive dose could have temporarily unpleasant effects. For your first time trying medical marijuana, the gentlest methods to explore to help you get an idea of how it affects you may well be liquid or sublingual tinctures, which take effect quickly and have short-lived effects.

The first and easiest answer to this question is to ask the specialist serving you at the medical cannabis dispensary you visit. The specialists there know a great deal about medical cannabis in general and the strains they sell there in particular. There are three main types of cannabis: sativa, indica and a hybrid of the two, and all medical cannabis products you’ll find at an Ohio dispensary, whether it’s flowers, tinctures, edibles, rubs, oils or concentrates, will be one of these three types. For most people, sativas tend to have more mental and emotional benefits, such as for relieving anxiety and depression, while indicas tend to have more physical effects, such as pain relief and relief from insomnia. Within those distinctions are more nuances differences in the proportions of cannabinoids, or active ingredients, in cannabis. Each cannabinoid has different effects, with the two most common cannabinoids being THC and CBD. THC is the primary cannabinoid responsible for the high associated with marijuana, while CBD is associated with many of the therapeutic benefits attributed to marijuana. Choosing the right strain for you is also a matter of looking at the levels of THC and CBD in a given strain. To find the right type of marijuana for you, discuss the matter with our doctor during your consultation.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy may approve new forms of medical cannabis for legal use in the state at any time. If you would like the board to consider approving a particular form of medical cannabis, you may petition the board by filling out and submitting a Petition to Add a Form of Method of Administration. Take note, however, that all forms and methods of using medical marijuana that one could consider attractive to children are prohibited by law.

An updated list of approved quantities of different forms of medical cannabis for patients and their caregivers is contained in Rule 3796:8-2-04 of the Ohio Administrative Code: Quantity of medical marijuana that may be purchase by a patient of caregiver. As of the effective date of this rule on September 8, 2017, any registered medical cannabis patient or caregiver can carry no more medical marijuana than what would be considered a 90-day supply for the respective patient. This rule is scheduled for a five-year review on September 8, 2022.

A patient and his or her caregiver may purchase collectively no less than a single day’s supply in any one purchase. What constitutes a single day’s supply is as follows:

• Plant matter – One-tenth of an ounce
• Patches, lotions, ointments and creams – 295 mg of THC
• Capsules, tinctures, oils and edibles for administering orally – 110 mg THC
• Oils for vaporizing – 590 mg of THC

Within any given 90-day period, a patient and his or her caregiver may purchase collectively no more than a 90-day supply of medical cannabis for that patient. The patient and caregiver may purchase this supply over multiple visits and across multiple forms, as long as, collectively, it does not exceed a 90-day supply, which is defined as follows:

• Plant matter – No greater than eight ounces of tier I medical cannabis and no greater than 5 3/10 ounces of tier II medical cannabis
• Patches, lotions, ointments and creams – No greater than 26.55 g THC
• Capsules, tinctures, oils and edibles for administering orally – No greater than 9 9/10 g THC
• Oils for vaporization – No greater than 53 1/10 g THC

A patient with a terminal illness and his or her caregiver are still restricted to purchasing only a 90-day supply collectively within any 90-day period. However, the quantities considered in a 90-day supply are slightly greater for a patient diagnosed with a terminal illness, as follows:

• Plant matter – No greater than 10 ounces of tier I medical cannabis and no greater than 6 6/10 ounces of tier II medical cannabis
• Patches, lotions, ointments and creams – No greater than 33 3/10 g THC
• Capsules, tinctures, oils and edibles for administering orally – 11 7/10 g THC
• Oils for vaporization – No greater than 65 7/10 g THC

To be legal for use in Ohio State, medical marijuana plant material must contain no more than 35% THC and medical marijuana extracts must contain no more than 70% THC.

The first submission period the Ohio State Medical Board set for petitioning to add new qualifying medical conditions to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program was from November 1 to December 31, 2019. The board accepted no such petitions before that period, nor have they accepted any since that submission period closed. During that time, as most likely in future submission periods, petitioners had to file their petitions electronically via the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program website, www.medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov. All petitions had to contain the following information:

• The petitioner’s name and contact info
• The specific condition or disease the petitioner wished to have approved for medical marijuana
• Information from specialists with expertise in that condition or disease
• Supporting scientific or medical evidence
• Discussion of how sufficiently effective conventional therapies are for treating or alleviating the condition or disease
• Supporting evidence backing the use of medical cannabis to alleviate or treat the condition or disease, along with additional scientific or medical documentation
• Letters of support for the addition from other physicians

If you wish to receive a license to legally cultivate medical marijuana in Ohio, you should become familiar first with the general rules and cultivator rules detailed in Chapter 3796 of the Ohio Administrative Code. Once you are familiar with all these rules, if you still wish to apply for a cultivator’s license, you can find the necessary applications forms along with the instructions for filling them out and submitting them on the Cultivation page of the Ohio Medical marijuana Control Program website.

Ohio recognizes two levels of medical cannabis cultivators: Level I and II. Level I cultivators can maintain a cultivation space of 25,000 square feet, while Level II cultivators can maintain a cultivation space of 3,000 square feet. Cultivator rules also permit licensees to submit expansion requests to increase their permitted cultivation areas.

The non-refundable cultivator’s licensing fees in Ohio are as follows:

• Level I Cultivator – $20,000 application fee + $180,000 initial license fee = $200,000 total
• Level II Cultivator – $2,000 application fee + $18,000 initial license fee = $20,000 total

As of September 9, 2018, or within the first year of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program’s existence, state law permitted the Ohio Department of Commerce to issue 12 licenses for Level I cultivators and 12 licenses for Level II cultivators.The program approved Level II cultivators June 5-16, 2017 and Level I cultivators June 19-30, 2017. After that date, the application period closed and has not, as of yet, reopened.

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program consulted with cannabis industry experts and reviewed feedback from the public regarding relevant considerations like the potential population of medical cannabis patients and the supply that would meet their potential need, as well as how many cultivators it would take to fulfill that demand. The number they selected aimed both to meet the expected demand and promote competition in the medical cannabis marketplace, thereby keeping prices for patients down, as well as ensure a reliable supply of safe and effective medical marijuana.

The application fee for a medical marijuana processor license is $10,000. Once the application is approved, the certificate of operation costs $90,000. Following that, a $100,00 annual license renewal fee is due.

Ohio law allowed the department to issue no more than 40 provisional processor licenses by September 9, 2018.

Only in-state public institutions of higher education were permitted to apply for licenses to conduct laboratory testing of medical cannabis for the first year the Department of Commerce was accepting applications to operate medical cannabis testing laboratories, and only if the institution had the necessary facilities and resources to conduct that testing in accordance with Ohio Administrative Code rules. Once that one-year period ended, the Department of Commerce began accepting applications to operate testing laboratories from private testing laboratories as well.

To operate a medical marijuana testing laboratory in the State of Ohio costs an application fee of $2,000 and a certificate-of-operation fee of $18,000. After that, laboratories must pay an annual renewal fe of $20,000.

Ohio law places no limit on the number of testing laboratory licenses the Department of Commerce may issue.

There are three main bodies responsible for regulating medical marijuana in Ohio: the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, the Ohio State Medical Board and the Ohio Department of Commerce.

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy is responsible for the following:

• Adopting the rules for dispensaries, like requirements for training employees
• Specifying what forms of medical marijuana are attractive to children and, therefore, should be prohibited
• Specifying what forms and THC content of medical marijuana constitutes a 90-day supply
• Establishing how many dispensary licenses the state can issue
• Adopting other rules to implement

The Ohio State Medical Board is responsible for the following:

• Creating a licensing program for doctors seeking authority to recommend medical marijuana to their patients

The Ohio Department of Commerce is responsible for the following:

• Managing the economic requirements for how the medical marijuana industry functions
• Adopting rules for licensing cultivators
• Specifying when to conduct marijuana testing, as well as test result minimums and distributions

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy, among its many duties, coordinates the state’s Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee. It is responsible for developing recommendations regarding the state’s Medical Marijuana Control Program and submitting those recommendations to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Medical Board and Board of Pharmacy. The Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee’s membership, which consists of 14 members, each appointed by a particular member of the Ohio government, as follows:

• The Governor – Two practicing pharmacists, at least one who supports the use of medical cannabis and at least one who is a Board of Pharmacy member, two practicing physicians, at least one who supports the use of medical cannabis and at least one who is a State Medical Board member and representatives of employers, agriculture and professionals involved in treating patients for addiction to alcohol and drugs
• The Ohio Senate President – Representatives of law enforcement and caregivers.
• The Ohio Senate Minority Leader – A nurse
• The Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives – Representatives of patients and professionals involved in treating patients for mental health concerns.
• The Ohio House Minority Leader – A representatives of labor

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee must also have a member who conducts academic research.

The committee first started holding meetings in the fall of 2016. All upcoming meeting notices are announced on the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program website.

If you are an Ohio employer of people with a valid and active Ohio medical marijuana card, you can find out everything about how an employee’s medical marijuana patient status affects workers’ compensation by reviewing the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation’s online publication Medical Marijuana and its Impact on BWC. Of specific note, nothing in Ohio State law requires employers to accommodate an employee’s medical marijuana use, nor does the law prohibit employers from discharging, refusing to hire or taking adverse actions against employees for using medical marijuana. If an employee is found to have been under the influence of marijuana when sustaining a workplace or work-related injury, regardless of that patient’s legal medical authorization to use medical marijuana, that employee is ineligible to receive workers’ compensation for that injury. In addition, existing rules for limiting which medications the BWC reimburses you for buying prevent medical marijuana purchases from being reimbursable by workers’ compensation.

An employer is permitted to drug test employees for marijuana, even if an employee has a legal Ohio medical marijuana card. Ohio law leaves it to the employer’s discretion whether or not to recognize an employee’s legal medical marijuana status. If you are concerned about an employer taking action against you for your medical marijuana use, the best recommendation is to speak candidly with that employer as soon as possible about your patient status. Let the employer know you use medical marijuana to control your condition or illness, but that you assure him or her you will only use CBD products containing no THC, the psychoactive component in cannabis, while you are on the job. It is still up to the employer what to do about this information, but your forthrightness can give you the greatest likelihood of your medical marijuana patient status not interfering with your employment.