How to Get a Medical Marijuana Recommendation (Prescription) in 4 Easy Steps
How do you get a medical marijuana prescription in the State of Ohio? You don’t — technically. But what you can get is the next best thing — a medical marijuana recommendation from a medical marijuana doctor certified by the state to make such recommendations. And that recommendation, along with a MMJ card, allows you to legally purchase and consume medical marijuana from licensed dispensaries.
In 4 steps, here’s the process to obtain a medical marijuana card in the State of Ohio and become a licensed patient with the full legal rights to purchase, possess, and consume medical cannabis.
1. Have at least 1 of the 23 conditions recognized by the State of Ohio as being treatable with medical marijuana.
These include:
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Cachexia, Wasting syndrome
- 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
- HIV/AIDS
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Sickle cell anemia
- Spinal cord disease or injury
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ulcerative colitis
New conditions may be added over time. Patients can petition the State of Ohio to include additional conditions, which are then approved or disapproved by the state medical review board.
In order to qualify, you must have at least one of the 23 approved conditions, be at least 18 years old, and reside in the State of Ohio.
Before applying, you’ll need to provide a state approved ID, which can be one of the following:
- Ohio driver’s license
- Ohio ID card issued by the bureau of motor vehicles (BMV)
- United States passport
2. Get a recommendation to use medical cannabis (similar to a prescription) from a medical marijuana doctor approved by the state of Ohio.
You must be clinically seen by a medical marijuana doctor approved by the state of Ohio to make medical marijuana recommendations. This doctor must have a “Certificate to Recommend” (CTR) from the State Medical Board. The doctor must be approved in Ohio. A recommendation from a physician in California, for example, does not suffice.
Unlike other states that have medical marijuana programs, this is not merely a “permission slip” the doctor signs and you pay your medical marijuana fee. He or she will diagnose you and confirm that you suffer from at least one of the 23 conditions. He or she must also confirm that your condition can be beneficially treated with medical cannabis.
How do you find an Ohio medical marijuana doctor? Dr. Blatman in Cincinnati is licensed by the State of Ohio to make medical marijuana recommendations. You can also find one on Ohiomarijuanacard.com — a resource for board-certified physicians who have completed an extensive medical marijuana course and are certified by the state to recommend the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
The doctor will submit a form to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy within 90 days of making the recommendation.
3. Register with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Board.
Once your doctor has entered you into the medical marijuana registry, you will receive an email to log into your Patient Registry account. You’ll need to pay a fee that’s in addition to whatever sum you pay your medical marijuana doctor. You may qualify for a fee reduction if you are veteran or indigent status.
4. Receive a medical marijuana card.
The Board of Pharmacy will review your application. If it is not complete or improperly filled out, it will be returned to you. If approved, you will be added to the Ohio MMCP Registry. Your Ohio MMJ card will be mailed to you, usually within about two weeks.
What Fees Are Associated with Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Program?
You’ll need to pay a $50 fee to the Board of Pharmacy, as well as a $25 caregiver’s fee. The price of consultation with an Ohio medical marijuana doctor varies, but is usually around $250.
