This newsletter is distributed to physicians with an active Certificate to Recommend Medical Marijuana (CTR) and provides important updates for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP). 

The State Medical Board of Ohio has approved 4 new certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR) application since the January board meeting. As of February 14, 2024, the total number of active certified physicians is 624.

Subject Matter Expert Wanted to Review Medical Marijuana Petitions 

The State Medical Board of Ohio is seeking qualified medical experts to review petitions. These petitions will request the addition of qualifying medical conditions to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. If you are interested in becoming a subject matter expert reviewer, please submit a completed questionnaire and a copy of your CV to donald.davis@med.ohio.gov.

Following receipt of this information, your name will be added to our list of subject matter experts. If a petition matches your background, experience, and specialty, board personnel will contact you with further details.

The Division of Cannabis Control (“DCC” or “Division”) has submitted a rule proposal to the Common Sense Initiative to eliminate the patient and caregiver registration fee. Currently, patients pay $50 annually while caregivers pay $25. 

The Division is working with its software vendor to remove the fee from the Medical Marijuana Patient & Caregiver Registry (“registry”) as soon as the technological changes can be made. In the meantime, beginning March 4, 2024, the medical marijuana patient and caregiver registration fee will be $0.01 (one cent).

Here’s what patients and caregivers need to know right now regarding fees and maintaining their medical marijuana card.

• Patients and caregivers do not need to submit any additional documentation or requests for the fee reduction. Beginning, March 4, 2024, the fee applied to the patient or caregiver’s registration for checkout will automatically be $0.01.
• The reduced fee applies to all patients and caregivers for both new registrations and renewals.
• All fees are non-refundable and the DCC is unable to process any requests for refunds.
• The DCC will notify all patients and caregivers when the fee is scheduled to be completely removed from the registry (estimated late Spring).

MMCP patients and caregivers are encouraged to remain as a patient within the MMCP. Doing so:

• Ensures the patient is speaking with a physician about their qualifying condition and maintains access to medical marijuana at current operational medical marijuana dispensaries.
• Provides medical marijuana patients access to discounts that may be offered at a dispensary.
• Exempts medical marijuana sales from the 10% excise tax levied on non-medical sales per the approved statute.

Additionally, employers have discretion to establish their own drug-free workplace policies. Some individual employers have chosen to take the status of an employee as a medical marijuana patient into consideration. Similar considerations have been given for individuals under court supervision who are a medical marijuana patient.

You may still add special status as veteran or indigent to a patient’s profile at their request. Although there will no longer be a fee component, patients with special status may receive discounts at dispensaries that are not otherwise available to other patients.

Patients and caregivers can find more information and resources at www.com.ohio.gov/mmcppatients.

Standard of Care

All physicians with an active CTR must follow the full list of requirements in Rule 4731-32-03 Standard of Care in the Ohio Administrative Code. 

Program Update (as of 12/31/23)

• 897,348  Recommendations
• 410,565 Registered patients
  • 23,914  Patients with Veteran Status
  • 24,864 Patients with Indigent Status
  • 1,413 Patients with a Terminal Diagnosis
• 163,339 Patients with both an active registration and an active recommendation
• 390,751* Unique patients who purchased medical marijuana (as reported to OARRS by licensed dispensaries)
• 38,101 Registered Caregivers

To help inform physicians choosing to include instructions for use, the types of products currently available through the Medical Marijuana Control Program are listed below (As of 12/11/23).