Ohio Medical Marijuana Card

Is Medical Marijuana Legal In Ohio?

Yes. Medicinal marijuana was legalized in Ohio in June 2016 when Governor John Kasich signed HB523 into law to create the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP). The OMMCP is administered by the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) of the Ohio Department of Commerce (ODC). The ODC provides for the licensure of medical marijuana cultivators, dispensaries, processors, and laboratories while the State Medical Board authorizes qualified healthcare practitioners to recommend medical marijuana use for registered patients and their caregivers.

Under the OMMCP, qualified patients can purchase medical marijuana as tinctures, cannabis oils, plant materials, edibles, lotions, patches, and creams. The Program permits registered patients to buy up to 4.45 grams of medical marijuana every 45 days.

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio in 2024

Qualifying Conditions for Medical Card in Ohio

In order to be eligible for an Ohio medical marijuana card in 2024, you must have a recommendation from an approved healthcare provider attesting that you suffer from one of the approved medical conditions for medical marijuana. These conditions include:

• Cancer

• Positive status for HIV

• AIDS

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• Crohn's disease

• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy

• Hepatitis C

• Glaucoma

• Fibromyalgia

• Epilepsy

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Sickle cell anemia

• Inflammatory Bowel Disease

• Seizures

• Spinal cord disease or injury

• Ulcerative colitis

• Traumatic brain injury

• Tourette's syndrome

• Parkinson's disease

• Chronic, severe, or intractable pain, including arthritis, chronic migraine, and complex regional pain syndrome

• Alzheimer's disease

• Cachexia

• Huntington's disease

• Spasticity

• Multiple sclerosis

• Terminal illness

Can I Apply For A Medical Marijuana Card In Ohio Online?

You can apply for an Ohio medical marijuana card online by obtaining a medical marijuana recommendation from a physician certified to recommend medical cannabis in Ohio. The physician will initiate the application, which will prompt the OMMCP to send you a unique link to complete the application. Medical marijuana recommendations can be completed from the comfort of your own home via telemedicine.

How Do I Register With the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program?

You can register for inclusion in the Ohio medical marijuana control program by submitting an application for a medical marijuana card. However, you must have a qualifying condition and valid proof of Ohio residency before submitting an application. Also, you must have a physician certified to recommend medical marijuana issue you a recommendation to use medical marijuana in order to complete registration on the Ohio medical marijuana control program registry.

Do I Need To Be An Ohio Resident To Get A Medical Marijuana Card?

Yes, you must be a legal Ohio resident with valid proof to obtain an Ohio medical marijuana card.

What Is The Cost Of An Ohio Medical Marijuana Card?

An Ohio medical marijuana card costs 1 cent. The renewal fee for an Ohio medical marijuana card is also 1 cent. The DCC plans to make Ohio medical marijuana card free in the near future.

What Do You Need When Visiting A Medical Marijuana Dispensary In Ohio?

In order to purchase medical marijuana from approved medical dispensaries in Ohio, you must present an active medical marijuana card, an active medical marijuana recommendation obtained from a CTR physician, and a government-issued identification card.

Who Can Prescribe Medical Marijuana In Ohio?

Ohio requires residents looking to visit qualified physicians to obtain medical marijuana recommendations before applying for medical marijuana cards. The physicians must hold active certificate-to-recommend (CTR) licenses issued by the Ohio Medical Board and maintain bona fide relationships with the patients as their attending physicians. A CTR physician will confirm whether a patient has a qualifying condition and review the patient's medical records before issuing a medical cannabis recommendation. The State Medical Board of Ohio provides a CTR physician search tool on its website to help residents locate physicians qualified to issue medical marijuana recommendations. The list also includes telemedicine providers who can issue medical marijuana recommendations without requiring in-person visits.

The State Medical Board of Ohio only permits medical doctors and osteopathic physicians with full unrestricted Ohio licenses to apply to obtain CTR licenses. Hence, only approved MDs and DOs may issue medical cannabis certifications.

Can A Minor Get A Medical Marijuana Card In Ohio?

Yes. Ohio provides for minors to access medical marijuana if certain conditions are fulfilled. Firstly, for a minor to obtain medical marijuana, the individual must obtain medical marijuana recommendation from a CTR physician. Prior to a CTR physician issuing a medical marijuana recommendation, the physician will request that the minor obtain the consent of a parent or legal guardian agreeing to their treatment using medical marijuana. Ohio also requires minors to designate adult caregivers before legally possessing and using medical marijuana.

Can You Get A Medical Marijuana Card At 18 In Ohio?

Yes. In Ohio, a minor is someone under the age of 18. The state allows individuals registered in its medical marijuana program to apply for medical marijuana cards as adults when they turn 18. As adults, applicants do not need the consent of their parents or legal guardians and do not have to specify caregivers on their applications.

How To Renew Your Ohio Medical Marijuana Card

Within one month of your medical marijuana card expiring, you will receive an automated email from the Ohio medical marijuana patient registry with a link to renew your registration. Follow the link in the mail or visit the Ohio medical marijuana registry website to log in to your profile to renew your application. Once logged in, select the "Renew Card" button to start the registration renewal process. Upon making the payment for the renewal application, a new active registry card will be visible on the left-hand side of your account page with a new expiration date. Select the download button to save your card for printing.

Note that you must have an active medical marijuana certification before you can renew your medical marijuana card. Hence, you will need to schedule an appointment with your certifying physician at least once per year to renew your recommendation. For more information on renewal applications, read the renewal reference guide on the OMMCP website.

Can You Grow Medical Marijuana In Ohio?

The State of Ohio prohibits the personal cultivation of marijuana even for medical marijuana purposes. Therefore, registered patients and their caregivers cannot grow marijuana in Ohio.

Does Ohio Allow Medical Marijuana Patients To Designate Caregivers?

Yes. Under Ohio medical marijuana laws, minors and adults lacking the capacity to administer medical marijuana by themselves may designate caregivers for assistance. A medical marijuana caregiver in Ohio is someone who buys, transports, and possesses medical marijuana on behalf of a registered patient and administers it in accordance with the Ohio medical marijuana control program. A caregiver may be a parent, legal guardian, nurse, spouse, or another person with the legal capacity to care for a medical marijuana patient.

To be eligible for a medical marijuana caregiver status in Ohio, an individual must:

• Be aged 21 or older, except where the individual is the legal parent of a minor patient

• Be a resident of Ohio at the time of application and remain so during the individual's participation in the OMMCP

• Agree to be designated as a caregiver to the registered patient

• Not be the recommending physician for the patient

• Register with the DCC pursuant to Rule 3796:7-2-03 of the Ohio Administrative Code

• Not be included in the:

• System for Award Management (SAM) in the United States General Services Administration

• List of excluded entities and individuals maintained by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General

• Online abuser registry maintained by the Department of Developmental Disabilities in Ohio

• Internet-based sex offender and child-victim offender database

• The National Sex Offender Public Website (NSOPW)

• Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) inmates' internet-based database

• Ohio Nurse Aide Registry, and there is a report detailing findings that the individual has abused or neglected a long-term care establishment or residential care facility resident or misappropriated the resident's property

Patients, and not the state, designate Ohio medical marijuana caregivers. Pursuant to Rule 3796:7-2-02 of the Ohio Administrative Code, no registered patient may designate more than two medical marijuana caregivers. An individual may also not serve as a medical marijuana caregiver for more than two patients. However, the DCC, at its discretion and upon a written request from a patient, may permit an individual to serve as a medical marijuana caregiver for more than two registered patients and for a patient to designate more than two medical marijuana caregivers:

• In order to prevent unnecessary hardship to the patients

• Where the patients' care is being provided under a hospice program

• Where the medical marijuana caregiver is concurrently caring for multiple patients, who live in the same household, as the caregiver

Caregivers are required to obtain caregiver cards under the OMMCP. The caregiver card is different from the patient's medical marijuana card. Patients typically designate caregivers on their submissions when applying for inclusion in the Ohio medical marijuana patient and caregiver registry.

Ohio Medical Marijuana Reciprocity

Although Ohio laws require its DCC to attempt to enter into reciprocity agreements with other states in good faith, the state does not currently recognize medical marijuana cards issued in other states.

Are My Medical Marijuana Records Private?

Per Ohio law, the state’s DCC and licensed dispensaries are prohibited from making personal identifying information public. Therefore, employers will not be able to access the medical marijuana records of their employees. However, in certain unique instances, law enforcement may be granted access to medical marijuana records. Also, physicians and individuals employed by licensed dispensaries can verify a patient or caregiver's registration.

Does Insurance Cover Medical Marijuana In Ohio?

No. State laws do not require insurance companies to cover medical marijuana costs in Ohio. Therefore, plan to pay the full worth of your medical marijuana purchases.

What Is The Medical Card Limit In Ohio?

A medical marijuana cardholder under the OMMCP may access up to a 90-day supply of medical marijuana.

Can You Go To A Dispensary Without A Medical Card In Ohio?

No. Since recreational marijuana is illegal in Ohio, you must have an active Ohio medical marijuana card to enter a licensed marijuana dispensary in Ohio.