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 approved 15 new CTR applications since the August board meeting. As of September 9, 2020, the total number of active certified physicians was 670.

Submitting Petitions for New Qualifying Conditions  

The next submission period is scheduled for Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2020. Anyone may submit a petition requesting a condition be added to the OMMCP. If a condition has been previously rejected by the board, the new petition must contain new scientific information that supports the request. Details on the process can be found here.

As a reminder, since your CTR is an endorsement to your current license, it will remain active when you renew your license. If you no longer wish to keep your CTR active, the Medical Board has added an option to the renewal process to renew your license without renewing your CTR. If the option is selected, your license number will drop the “CTR” suffix and the CTR endorsement will be given an inactive status. Please email license@med.ohio.gov if you have questions.

State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Updates

Patient Renewal

Patients seeking to renew their medical marijuana registration will not receive another “activation” email upon receipt of their new recommendation. Once a new recommendation is submitted by the physician, the patient can log into the Patient & Caregiver Registry to remit their annual registration fee in order to renew their card. Patients that need assistance logging into their Registry account due to a lost password can send an email to MMCPRegistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov to request a password reset link.

Caregiver Approvals

Much like a patient registration, when a caregiver is registered, they will receive an emailed link to the Patient & Caregiver Registry. Using the link, the caregiver can remit their registration fee. Unlike patients, a caregiver’s card will not be immediately active. After remitting their fee, the activation of the caregiver card will be placed on hold until an eligibility review is completed. The caregiver eligibility review will occur once the caregiver is linked to a patient and they have paid their registration fee.

In accordance with rule 3796:7-2-02 of the Ohio Administrative Code, the Pharmacy Board is required to check seven separate databases to determine the caregiver's eligibility. The caregiver eligibility review process can take up to seven business days to complete.

Photo Identification Expansion

In June, the Pharmacy Board authorized physicians to accept additional forms of identification in lieu of a driver’s license or other identification issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles to prove Ohio residency. When registering patients and caregivers with one of the additional forms of identification, follow the instructions in this guidance document.

Indigent Status Reminder

In accordance with rule 3796:7-3-01 of the Ohio Administrative Code, patients wishing to register with indigent status based on the benefits they receive from Social Security must provide documentation establishing the patient’s identity (name), enrollment in the federal "Social Security Disability Income" (SSDI) or the "Supplemental Security Income" (SSI) disability programs specifically, and the amount of monthly SSDI or SSI benefits to be received by the patient during the current year of the registration submission. Patients receiving only retirement benefits are not eligible for the indigent status.

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.