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 3 new certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR) applications since the May board meeting. As of June 9, 2021, the total number of active certified physicians is 666.

The State Medical Board of Ohio (SMBO) met virtually on June 9 and discussed the petitions to add six new qualifying conditions to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP). After the discussion, the full board voted to add Huntington’s disease, terminal illness and spasticity as qualifying conditions, effective immediately. The board also voted to reject the petitions for autism spectrum disorder, restless leg syndrome, panic disorder with agoraphobia and spasms. This brings the total number of qualifying conditions in the OMMCP to 25.

The next submission period is scheduled for Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021.  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.

During the February 10 meeting, the board’s Medical Marijuana Committee determined that the petitions submitted for arthritis, migraines (chronic), and complex regional pain syndrome were already covered by the existing qualifying condition of pain that is either chronic or intractable. The board has created a position statement about these conditions which is available on med.ohio.gov. The board will update the document as needed. 

If a patient with a condition that has been determined by the Medical Board to be covered by an existing qualifying condition seeks a recommendation, the certified physician must follow the standard of care requirements in OAC 4731-32-03.

State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Updates

Erroneous Recommending Physician Listed in OARRS

The Board of Pharmacy has been contacted regarding dispensaries identifying the wrong physician as the recommending physician in patients’ OARRS reports.

To see which dispensations are attributed to you and the dispensary which filled it, log into your OARRS account, then go to RxSearch>MyRx. You will be able to see which dispensary filled the recommendation which has been inadvertently attributed to you. You can, at that time, contact them for them to make the correction. Errors can only be fixed by the dispensary. Please contact the dispensary and discuss this with the pharmacist or designated representative. Have them look at the recommendation in the registry, not just what they’ve entered into their computer. Not only do they need to correct what is in their software, they also need to report the correction to OARRS. The dispensary can call the support desk at 844-464-4767 if they need assistance in making the correction to the OARRS report. 

Patient Registration Renewal

Patients and caregivers who need to renew their registration will NOT receive a registration email. To renew their medical marijuana registration, patients and caregivers must visit www.ohiomedicalmarijuanaregistry.com and sign in with their email address and password to access their profile. Once logged in, they should click the “RENEW CARD” button.

Contacting the Board

If you are experiencing difficulty with a patient or caregiver profile, you should contact the Board of Pharmacy to request assistance by emailing MMCPRegistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov. Patients should not contact the Board of Pharmacy on their physician’s behalf.

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.