With a month left before medical marijuana is officially legal, much of the process – from growing the drug to getting it in the hands of patients – is still pending. The timeline established by the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program (OMMCP), the group overseeing the implementation of the law (House Bill 523), requires the operation to be fully functioning by September, 2018.
In the two years from legalization to complete implementation, three state government agencies will develop the rules and regulations related to cultivation, processing, testing and distribution. The Department of Commerce oversees cultivators, processors and testing labs; the Medical Board certifies physicians and will qualify additional illnesses for eligibility; and the Board of Pharmacy handles patient and caregiver registration, approves new forms of medical marijuana and regulates retail dispensaries.
These organizations will adhere to the following timeline:
September 8, 2016
House Bill 523, legalizing marijuana for medical use, goes into effect
Deadline for the Medical Board to submit rules related to the OMMCP
May 6, 2017
Deadline for the Department of Commerce to submit standards and procedures, including applications, fees, number of available licenses, timing, how to apply and renewal requirements for cultivating weed
September 8, 2017
Deadline for the Department of Commerce to set up rules for marijuana processing and testing standards and procedures
Deadline for the Medical Board to submit rules on physician certification
While many of the rules and regulations remain a mystery, some are already established, like how patients will be able to consume the drug and in what form. The OMMCP website published a complete list of eligible ailments for treatment with marijuana; the Medical Board is currently working on a petition process to add more conditions to the list.
Employees who are patients treated with marijuana are granted no protection from a refusal to hire, termination or any other adverse action related to employment
These, along with the following rights and restrictions, are important to know:
Medical ganja will be available in most forms other than smoking, including “oils, tinctures, plant material, edibles and patches.” Vaping is also allowed, but anything that would attract children is prohibited.
Physicians will have the ability to be certified to recommend, but not prescribe, marijuana to patients and caregivers. Federal law prohibits prescriptions for weed
The following illnesses will be eligible for treatment with medical marijuana: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, 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, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and ulcerative colitis
No dispensaries can occupy a space within 500 feet of a church, school, or any public library, playground or park
Home-grown weed for personal use is prohibited by the law
A more detailed timeline and list of rules is coming soon. Follow CU for more updates.