Ohio Bill Goes Forward to Expand Medical Cannabis Program

Ohio lawmakers passed bill on Wednesday that would result in the first major change to the state’s medical cannabis program since its inception in 2016, effectively giving doctors the ability to recommend cannabis for almost any condition.

Senate Law 261 was passed by the Chamber and is now under scrutiny by the state House of Representatives. Sponsored by Republican Senator Steve Huffman, the legislation would bring a number of important changes to the five-year-old bill. Perhaps most importantly, the bill calls for a dramatic increase in the number of conditions that would qualify a patient for medical cannabis treatment in Buckeye, Ohio.

Under Huffman’s proposed bill, doctors could “recommend marijuana for the treatment of any disease if the doctor determines, in his sole discretion and opinion, any of the following results”: “That relief from the patient’s symptoms can reasonably be expected”. medical marijuana ”and“ that the patient can otherwise reasonably be expected to benefit from medical marijuana ”.

Currently, patients in Ohio can qualify for medical cannabis treatment with the following conditions: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; Alzheimer’s Disease; Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; 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 persistent; Parkinson’s Disease; Positive status for HIV; Post-traumatic stress disorder; Sickle cell anemia; Spinal cord disease or injury; Tourett’s syndrome; Traumatic brain injury and ulcerative colitis.

Ohio wants to help more patients

Huffman’s bill would add arthritis, migraines, autism spectrum disorder, spasticity or chronic muscle spasms, hospice care or terminal diseases, and opioid use disorders to the list of qualifying disorders.

The legislation would also create “a new marijuana control department (DMC) within the Department of Commerce” that would “oversee and administer Ohio’s medical marijuana control program.”

“As a result, the majority of the State Board of Pharmacy’s responsibilities in relation to the medical cannabis program will be transferred to DMC,” said a legislative analysis of the bill first proposed by Huffman last month. “These delegated responsibilities include: registering patients and caregivers, approving and overseeing retail pharmacy licensees, overseeing licensees taxation, reviewing criminal records for license applicants and employees, investigating medical marijuana law violations, entering into reciprocal agreements with other states, and maintaining a toll-free phone line to answer inquiries related to the medical marijuana program. It also changes the references in the revised Code as needed to reflect these changes. “

In addition, the bill would significantly expand the number of cannabis dispensaries in the state.

Analysis of the bill stated that the proposal would require the Department of Marijuana Control to “achieve a ratio of at least one licensed retail pharmacy for every 1,000 registered patients up to the first 300,000 registered patients, and then add more retail pharmacies as needed.” Base.”

It would also “allow licensed pharmacies to advertise on social media or otherwise without the prior consent of DMC” and give them the ability to “display products in advertisements and at the pharmacy.”

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the bill passed 26-5 in the state Senate, and Huffman plans to “impose additional changes that didn’t get through in time for Wednesday’s vote.”

“Regarding the proposed changes: inclusion of Lupus in the list of qualifying conditions and clarification that independent processors are only suitable for small cultivation licenses of level II,” reported the enquirer.

According to the newspaper, “Ohio’s large-scale Level I growers can grow up to 25,000 square feet of marijuana, and Level II growers are limited to 3,000 square feet,” while state regulations “allow licensees to expand to 75,000 square feet and 9,000 square feet.” . Square feet, or ”

Huffman’s proposal, the Enquirer reported, “would increase the expansion for Level II growers to 20,000 square feet while keeping Level I growers at the same limit.”