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 6 new certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR) applications since the May board meeting. As of July 14, 2021, the total number of active certified physicians is 650.

Under Ohio law, the following are qualifying medical conditions: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cachexia, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, Huntington’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, positive status for HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, sickle cell anemia, spasticity, spinal cord disease or injury, terminal illness, Tourette syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and ulcerative colitis.

The next submission period is scheduled for Nov. 1 – Dec. 31, 2021. Anyone may submit a petition requesting a condition be added to the MMCP. 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.

Telemedicine Update

Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-03 and Ohio Revised Code 4731.30 require an in-person visit to make an initial recommendation and an in-person visit at least once a year. The Medical Board suspended enforcement of telemedicine regulations for licensees during the COVID-19 pandemic, which allowed physicians with a CTR to use telemedicine in place of in-person visits. Now that the state of emergency has been lifted, the board has announced that enforcement of the above regulation will resume on September 17, 2021. 

On July 14, 2021, the Medical Board approved new telemedicine FAQs. These FAQs provide guidance on telemedicine in Ohio and the Medical Board’s resumption of enforcement on September 17, 2021 of its laws and rules requiring in-person visits in certain situations. Click here to view the FAQs.

CTR Physician Survey

Thank you for completing the CTR physician survey. As a reminder, the survey satisfies the statutory and rule requirement for submission of an annual report and will provide insight into physician practices.

The board will use this data to create the 2021 CTR Annual Report. Once the report has been finalized and published, we will share it with you.

Renewing your CTR

As a reminder, your CTR will remain active when you renew your license unless you make the choice to inactivate it during your renewal process. If you have questions about renewing your license or inactivating your CTR, please email license@med.ohio.gov.

State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Updates

Name Entries

Patient and caregiver names must be entered into the Registry EXACTLY as they appear on the patient/caregiver’s form of identification, including any suffixes fixed to the patient’s name (e.g., Jr., Sr., II, III, etc.).

Additionally, physicians must enter the individual’s legal name – rather than a nickname – into the Registry, e.g. do not use “Mike” instead of “Michael.” The name on the patient’s registry account must match the name on the patient’s identification or the registration is considered inaccurate.

Entering incorrect or incomplete patient information will preclude the patient from purchasing and requires immediate attention.

Linking Patients & Caregivers

Upon activating or renewing their card, caregivers must undergo the Caregiver Approval Process. Caregivers cannot be processed through the Caregiver Approval Process if they are not “linked” to a patient. Physicians must link caregivers to the appropriate patient immediately following the caregiver’s registration by the physician or their staff. Physicians must always ensure they are linking the caregiver to the appropriate patient.

Registration Email

Patients and caregivers receive an auto-generated email from the Registry immediately upon creation of their profile. If a patient/caregiver has not received a registration email, physicians/delegates should confirm the listed email address is accurate before having patients contact the Board of Pharmacy.

Recommendation Issuance

Physicians cannot issue a recommendation that exceeds the patient’s registration expiration date. For example, if a patient’s registration expires on 6/30/2022, a physician could not issue a recommendation with an expiration date that exceeds 6/30/2022.

If a caregiver wishes to become a patient by obtaining a recommendation, the above guidance also applies to the caregiver’s registration.

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.