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How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio

How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio?
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A medical marijuana card can be obtained through a physician who has received training and has authorization from the state. To obtain one, patients must first make an appointment with their doctor, describe their symptoms and ailments to him or her and receive a diagnosis for what they are suffering from.

Physicians will also need to make sure that the patient does not have any other conditions that would preclude them from using medical marijuana as treatment. Once this is done, physicians submit information about their patients to the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program which then determines if they meet all the qualifications for getting a license.

Ohio patients who do qualify will need to apply for an identification card (or registry ID) for purchasing medical marijuana from dispensaries, edibles manufacturers and cultivators. This certificate is good for one year. Patients will also need to apply for a personal growing permit which allows them to grow up to twelve plants of their own in the privacy of their home and then give some away or sell any excess that they don’t use themselves.

Failure to comply with these requirements will result in revocation of the patient’s license and possible criminal charges against them depending on how severe the infractions are.

What is the First Step to Getting a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio?

The first thing patients must do is first become residents of Ohio by establishing legal residency within 30 days prior to applying for a medical marijuana ID card or else they will have their application rejected. Once a residency is established, patients can then submit an application for the ID through the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program’s website after paying the appropriate fees. Form MMJ-251 will not be accepted as proof of residency though.

Patients must pay $50 every year that their medical marijuana card is valid. Government issued identification (such as driver’s license) must also be provided along with three personal references; one of which has to be an Ohio resident and one of which has to be an Ohio physician who may or may not know about the patient’s intention to use medical marijuana for treatment purposes. Patients who are receiving state assistance will only need to pay $20 every year until 2023 when they will no longer need to pay any fees at all.

What are the Qualifying Conditions for Getting a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio?

The following conditions and symptoms qualify for a medical marijuana card in Ohio:

Alzheimer’s, Cancer, Glaucoma, HIV (AIDS), Chronic and Severe Pain, Parkinson’s Disease, Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the treatment of these conditions.

Doctors are permitted to recommend marijuana use for whatever ailments they see fit, but they are required to determine during an initial consultation if their patients indeed qualify. Doctors will also need to check in with their patients on a monthly basis after prescribing cannabis to them and order follow-ups if they believe the patient has not responded favorably to it.

Once a patient is approved for a medical marijuana card, they can either choose to grow their own supply of cannabis or purchase it from one of the 150 dispensaries that have been licensed throughout the state. The Cannabis Control Commission has ruled that patients will be able to possess up to 90 days worth of medical marijuana at any given time.

Patients who use pot as treatment for more than 10 consecutive days must notify their physician and then an updated prescription must be issued to them by the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy.

Also, once patients receive their medical marijuana cards, they are required by law to notify their employers (if employees) or school (if students) about having received approval for cannabis use as treatment. Any person who is found in violation of this provision may lose access to their medical marijuana card through suspension

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio?

The fee by law to get the cannabis card is $50. This includes both the application fee and the annual renewal fee. The physician also has to pay this amount for each of his patients that he authorizes to use medical marijuana.

Physicians are reimbursed by the state with cannabis cards, however these payments are made in installments over time so it is best if doctors bill their patients directly for services provided during their initial visit. Recognizing that some patients may be unable to cover this cost, the state has decided to subsidize half of all application fees for people who earn less than $20,000 annually.

How Long Does it Take to Get my Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio?

The process for obtaining a medical marijuana card in Ohio can be long, but many patients are surprised at how quickly they get their cards. This is because physicians are allowed to issue temporary cannabis cards to patients while they are waiting on the state database to verify their qualifications.

Once patients get provisional approval for a cannabis card, anyone 21 or older may purchase medical marijuana from an authorized dispensary within the state. These dispensaries usually have everything that qualified patients need including edibles and oils that meet all federal guidelines for labelling and shipping across state lines.

Due to these options, some doctors will suggest that their patients wait until they receive their permanent card before beginning treatment with medical marijuana. Patients who do not want to wait this long, however, can begin seeing immediate improvements in their quality of life as soon as they start consuming medical marijuana.

In addition to the benefits that cannabis provides, medical marijuana patients also realize a reduction in overall health care costs. Many patients who receive a prescription for an opiate drug from their doctor cut down on these prescriptions after switching to medical marijuana.

This is a good time to mention that Ohio has not legalized recreational use of marijuana and anyone caught with more than 200 grams of cannabis will be charged with trafficking and automatically sentenced to prison time without probation or parole. Patients should never attempt to transport large quantities across state lines because federal law supersedes any state legislation when it comes to controlled substances such as cannabis.

Conclusion

The process of getting a medical marijuana license in Ohio is not complicated but does require an initial appointment with a doctor that includes appropriate examinations and documentation of your qualifying condition or conditions.

The total cost for this process is approximately $100 which covers both the application fee to the state as well as physician fees for services rendered at the time of your visit. Overall, you should be able to complete this process within one month from start to finish once all necessary steps have been taken including filing out the initial paperwork, getting the diagnosis and beginning to use your cannabis card.

It is highly advised that you compare prices for cannabis cards at your local dispensaries to make sure you are getting the best deal. It is also important that you register with the state database within two weeks of obtaining your license or face prosecution from law enforcement officers across Ohio. We hope this article helped you understand how to get a medical marijuana card in Ohio.

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