QUALIFYING PATIENTS IN OHIO

If you wish to become a medical cannabis patient in Ohio, you must first have a bona fide physician patient relationship with a physician who has an active certification to recommend cannabis. If you have one or more of the eligible conditions listed below, you may be eligible to possess up to a 90-day supply of medicine. You will need to bring a valid Ohio state issued ID, either a driver's license or a photo ID. The doctor will use this to enter you into the patient registry; they will need a current email.

Once your doctor has entered you into the database, you will receive login credentials in your email. Sign into the patient registry and complete the application. There will be an annual registration fee of $50 to remain a patient in Ohio.

After your registration is complete, you must go to a dispensary in the state to complete the process. Your first transaction will finalize your registration.

Eligible conditions:

If you are diagnosed with one of the following conditions, you may be eligible for physician certification as a patient in Ohio:

  • Acquired immune deficiency syndrome;
  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis;
  • 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 of the following:
    1. Chronic and severe;
    2. 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;
  • Ulcerative colitis;
  • Any other disease or condition added by the state medical board

Becoming a Patient as a Minor:

If you are a minor who wishes to become a patient in Ohio, the application process is the same; however, the doctor you visit must have permission from a parent or legal guardian to recommend cannabis to you. A parent or legal guardian must also serve as your caregiver.

Benefits of Being a Patient:

You will have an affirmative defense in court if arrested for the possession of cannabis. Legally, your medical cannabis status cannot be the sole or primary basis for a landlord rejecting or evicting a tenant. Unfortunately, patients are not protected from employment discrimination; you will be forbidden from taking legal action against an employer who has dismissed them for their medical cannabis use.

Becoming a Caregiver:

During the consultation process with their physician, a patient may name you as their caregiver. Make sure your patient has a current email address for you so that you can access the profile on the registration portal set up by the physician. There is a $25 fee to register as a caregiver. The caregiver application includes a background check which should take up to seven business days to complete.

Out-of-State Patients:

Ohio does not recognize Out-of-State patient registrations. For more information about traveling as a medical cannabis patient, check out our Travel Guide.

Home Cultivation:

Not permitted.

 

Medical cannabis patients can find additional resources here

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