10 Things to Know About Ohio’s New Marijuana Law — Effective Today

Remember back in grade school when your teacher told you to read the instructions before you took the test? Well here are some instructions, rules, and tips about today’s new legislation: Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program. Remember, reading instructions is key to ‘exploring’ the new law within its parameters.

Becoming a licensed seller, grower, processor, and distillery — This you will definitely know tomorrow, according to the website, the Marijuana Control Program’s rules for this under development, but will be available tomorrow. We do know that there will be procedures, fees, licenses, and renewal requirements.Currently there are no marijuana crops, no growers, no processors, testing labs or dispensaries and according to the Dispatch could take up to two years for the kinks to work itself out of the system, and that includes hiring people to do the work.

Being prescribed medical marijuana is actually a teensy bit more complicated than it sounds. You can’t just go to your doctor and ask for it like you would any other med, simply because the doctor probably won’t have the certification for it right away. Doctors must have certification, meaning not every doctor you go to will be certified. There have been no Ohio physicians that been certified to recommend medical marijuana to patients.

Patients interested in medical marijuana will have to register with the Board of Pharmacy, and the certified physician prescribing medical weed must submit the application on the patient’s behalf.

A registration will NOT be publicly available — Just like with any other medical conditions and medication, no one has a right to see that info except the patient and his or her doctor.With that said, workplaces in Ohio are not required to accommodate any use of marijuana whether it is legal or not — meaning you could still be fired or let go from your job if you test positive for marijuana, regardless if it is medical.

Caregivers will also be able to administer marijuana, but must register just like the patient. This facet of the law could make it difficult (and expensive) for caregiving companies who rotate their caregivers, meaning they would have to register all their caregivers.

Registration for the use of medical marijuana will have to be renewed.
Minors can use medical weed under the condition that parent or guardian gives consent.

Registered patients will only be able to hold 90 days worth of medical marijuana at a time. Depending on how much the patient takes or is prescribed to take, that’s quite a bit.The administration of weed will be highly regulated with that said, only allowing a user marijuana edibles, patches, oils, tinctures and plant material. ‘Vaping’ marijuana will be permitted, but smoking will not.

Patients can use their registration cards in other states, depending on wether Ohio has decided to work with other states’ requirements and laws.

Patients will be able to use medical weed if they have a seizure disorder, PTSD, severe chronic pain, and cancer, among many other conditions detailed on their website.

Medical marijuana will be legal today, and there are many other small notes to House Bill 523. For more information on House Bill 523 — you can read it in full here.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY