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 8 new certificate to recommend medical marijuana (CTR) applications since the August board meeting. As of September 8, 2021, the total number of active certified physicians is 651.

Submitting Petitions for New Qualifying Conditions  

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. No submissions will be accepted before November 1. Details on the process can be found here. 

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 examination at least once a year.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Medical Board suspended enforcement of regulations that required in-person visits, until the expiration of Executive Order 2020-01D. This allowed the use of telemedicine in situations that previously required in-person visits, including for physicians with a CTR to use telemedicine for initial visits and renewals.

In June, the board voted to resume enforcement of the regulation on September 17, 2021, three months after the lifting of the state declaration of emergency. However, on August 11 the board voted to extend the suspension of regulation for in-person visits until December 31, 2021, to ensure accessibility and safety for patients during this time. 

The Medical Board approved telemedicine FAQs that provide guidance on telemedicine in Ohio and the Medical Board’s resumption of enforcement. Click here to view the FAQs.

Program Update (As of July 31, 2021)

• 331,273 Recommendations
• 202,666 Registered patients
  • 14,039 Patients with Veteran Status
  • 15,550 Patients with Indigent Status
  • 866 Patients with a Terminal Diagnosis
• 125,298 Patients with both an active registration and an active recommendation
• 183,009 Unique patients who purchased medical marijuana (as reported to OARRS by licensed dispensaries)
• 23,472 Registered Caregivers

CTR Annual Report

During the August 11 board meeting, the board reviewed and voted to publish the CTR Annual Report. The document fulfills Ohio Revised Code 4731.30 and Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-03 which requires Ohio physicians holding an active Certificate to Recommend medical marijuana to submit an annual report. It also provides insight on the common practices of physicians with a CTR.

The CTR Physician Annual Report is available on the website here.

2022 Petition Period

In accordance with Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-05, on September 8 the board voted to designate November 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022 as the window to accept petitions in the 2022 calendar year.

State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy Updates

Caregiver Registration

The Temporary Expansion of Caregiver Registration that was put in place by the Board of Pharmacy in March 2020 is no longer in effect. The expansion ended on September 8, 2021. All caregivers must be registered and linked to the appropriate patient by a recommending physician.

Physician/Delegate Profiles

Physicians and delegates who are also patients or caregivers in the Medical Marijuana Control Program CANNOT use the same email address to register for both a registrant and physician/delegate account in the Registry. Using the same email address for both accounts will prevent the individual from gaining access to their patient/caregiver profile. Separate email addresses must be used when registering a new account.

If a physician or delegate has already used the same email address for both accounts, please email mmcpregistry@pharmacy.ohio.gov. In the email, include the individual’s name, the email address to be associated with the physician or delegate account, and the (different) email address to be associated with the patient or caregiver registration account.

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.