Ohio became the twenty-fifth state in the USA to provide qualifying patients with the option to consider the use of medical marijuana in the management of qualifying medical and psychological conditions. The law has been on the books since passing the Senate on May 25th, 2016.
The medical marijuana law came into effect on September 8th, 2016, with a number of qualifying conditions. These included conditions such as Alzheimer’s, ALS, cancer, Crohn’s, seizure disorders, fibromyalgia, Hepatitis C, HIV, TBI, and a number of others. Over time, additional qualifying medical and psychological conditions have been added. Medical marijuana doctors across the state can also recommend patients with other conditions of the same class as those listed.
The Process
Due to the pandemic, Ohio has approved medical marijuana telemedicine services for both the initial visit with the MMJ doctor as well as for all follow-up exams. This was initially a short-term change in the system to accommodate for the pandemic and social distancing requirements.
On March 23, 2022, Ohio House Bill 122 was passed that allowed medical marijuana doctors to use either medical marijuana telemedicine services or in-person appointments with patients.
There is a requirement that any medical marijuana telemedicine services offered by MMJ doctors in the state are only for Ohio residents. In addition, the MMJ doctor must be physically located in the state at the time of the telemedicine appointment. It is anticipated that as the use of medical marijuana expands for qualifying conditions, changes to the laws will continue to make the process more accessible for patients.
