Table of Contents
History of Marijuana Legalization in Ohio
Marijuana became legal for medicinal use in Ohio on September 8, 2016 with the passage of Ohio House Bill 523. Sales were supposed to begin in September of 2018 but actually started in January 2019 due to governmental red tape.
The process to legalize recreational marijuana is currently underway in the state. On August 20, 2021, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost approved language for a law proposed by the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol. The current version of the law would allow adults over 21 years of age to buy, posses, grow and use marijuana. The AG’s approval is the first step in a long process that could results in a November 2022 ballot initiative. The next step is certification from the Ohio Ballot Board.
Who Can Use Medical Marijuana in Ohio
To lawfully purchase and consume marijuana in Ohio, you must possess an Ohio Medical Marijuana Card. To quality for a card, you must have a qualifying medical condition. These currently include:
- Acquired immune deficiency syndrome
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Cancer
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- 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 (PTSD)
- Sickle cell anemia
- Spinal cord disease or injury
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury
- Ulcerative colitis
How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Ohio
Obtaining a medical marijuana card in Ohio is quite straightforward. You must have a consultation with a doctor that has an active Certificate to Recommend (CTR). Sending the doctor your medical records with one of the above qualifying conditions will give the greatest chance of success in obtaining a medical card.
There are currently 245 doctors in Ohio with an active CTR. Here is the list:
- A Graciansky-Lengyel
- Aaron Michael Roberts
- Adam Hedaya
- Adel Zaraa
- Adil Jaffer
- Aisha Rahman
- Alan Edwards
- Alan Wine
- Allen Guehl
- Amish Oza
- Amy Shannon
- Andrew Dagg-Murry
- Andrew Kuntz
- Anil Parikh
- Ann Dorobek
- Anthony Bianco
- Anthony Suchoski
- Anupam Jha
- Arshad Husain
- Arthur Armstrong
- Ashok Devatha
- Ayman Basali
- B Sidari
- Barbara Abrams, MD
- Barbara Messinger-Rapport
- Barbara Singer
- Bradley Herpolsheimer
- Bryan Badik
- Catherine Carrigan
- Catherine Pham
- Chander Arora
- Charles Barrett
- Charles Feicht
- Charles Kassicieh
- Cheryl Lango Mader, D.O.
- Chowdry Bashir
- Christal Rousseau
- Christian Jacobus
- Corie Kovach
- Craig Thompson
- Cynthia Caja
- Cynthia Dietrich
- Cynthia Taylor
- Damon Whitfield
- Daniel Gembus
- Daniel Jones
- Daniel Neides
- David E McMahon
- David Ellison
- David Fallat
- David G. Provaznik
- David Garcia
- David Spears
- David Whitt
- Dharam Batish
- Dhruv Shah
- Diane Eden
- Dorothy Bradford
- Douglas Woo
- Dr Jan G Cornell M.D.
- Dr. Brian F. Goodhue
- Dr. Elizabeth Bentley
- Edan Gilat
- Emmanuel Tuffuor
- Faizan Hafeez
- Faozan Narvel
- Francisco Garabis
- Fred Leess
- Frederick A Slezak MD
- Gabriel Pagani-Estevez
- Gale Hazen
- Garth Phibbs
- Gary Milkovich
- Gary Ray MD
- Geoffrey Rose
- George Muenster
- Gina Love-Walker
- Glen Solomon
- Hal Blatman
- Harold Edmiston
- Heidi Beining
- Hillman Hum
- Holly Maggiano
- Humam Akbik
- Inna Krasnyansky
- James Bingham
- James Coulter
- James H. Arant
- James Weeks
- James Wolfe
- Jamesetta Lewis
- Janalee Rissover M.D.
- Jane Li-Conrad
- Jeffrey Haggenjos
- Jeffrey Hill
- Jeffrey Marsh
- Jeffrey Milks
- Jeffrey Shaw
- Jessica Hutchins
- Jessica Price
- Joel Balcom
- Joel Simmons
- John Aziz
- John Biery
- John Dunne
- John Murphy IV, DO
- John Parente
- John Paul
- Jonathan Buck
- Julianne Moy
- Julie Forbush
- Jyoti R Chawla, MD
- Kamel Abraham
- Karin Cseak
- Kathleen Anne C Rocco
- Kathleen Padgitt
- Kellie Boyd Barnes
- Kelly Kiehm
- Kelly L. Moorhead, M.D.
- Kevin Watt
- Kurt Kuhlman
- Lawson R Wulsin
- Leon Margolin
- Lester Hill
- Lindsay Benedict
- Loraine Joan Glaser-Zakem
- Lori Gemma
- Louis Bowman
- Magdalena Gasiorova
- Marcia Kaplan
- Maria V. Soto
- Mark Hatfield
- Mark Lang
- Mark Neumann
- Mark Pellegrino
- Mark Roberto
- Mark Stanley
- Mark Taylor
- Mark Woyshville
- Mary-Helene Massullo
- Mathew Wood
- Matthew Mueller
- Meagan Bower
- Meghan Nein
- Meicheng Chiang
- Melanie Duhamel
- Melissa Pifer
- Meredith Wylie
- Mervyn J.Samuel MD
- Michael Cohen
- Michael Louwers
- Michael Maloney
- Michael Stretanski
- Milton Sanchez-Parodi
- Mohamed Eldirani
- Mohammad Ahmed
- Mohan Kareti
- Mohinder Singh
- Molly Hall
- Morris W. Pulliam, M.D.
- Nagaraj Kotekal
- Naila Goldenberg
- Necklall Khooblall
- Nevada Reed
- Newton Bullard
- Nicholas Varrati
- Noah Miller
- Orin Hall
- Oscar Cataldi
- Patrick Muffley
- Patrick Tessman
- Patsy Buccino
- Paul Conover
- Penny Shelton
- Peter Howison
- Priyesh Mehta
- Radha Baishnab
- Rajbir Bajwa
- Rajnish K Gupta
- Raju Fatehchand
- Rank Dawson
- Rashid Khan
- Richard Goldfarb
- Richard Pine
- Richard Pitt
- Richard Ray
- Richard Sanders
- Richard Silver
- Robert Barkett
- Robert Florea
- Robert Hill
- Robert Keating
- Robert Ogg
- Robert Perkins
- Robert Roerich
- Roger Garcia
- Roger Isla
- Rolf Brunckhorst
- Roman Ringel
- Ronald Crock
- Ronald Sachs
- Roy Harris
- Russell Morrison
- Ryan Williams
- Sachida Manocha
- Sarah Blake
- Scott Tofil
- Sean Stiltner
- Selwyn-Lloyd Mcpherson
- Sharrie Ray
- Shelley Blackburn
- Shelli Ridge
- Sherri Carney
- Stacy Banerjee, MD
- Stephen Martin
- Stephen Mooney MD
- Steven Carp
- Steven Schneider
- Susan Brashear
- Susan Davis-Brown
- Susan J. Graham
- Suzanne Croteau
- Syed A Naqvi MD
- Tarek Aziz
- Theodore Chrobak
- Theresa Hom
- Thomas Cox
- Thomas McCartney
- Thomas Wanko
- Timothy Kilkenny
- Timothy Sutton
- Timothy Thress
- Trupti Patel
- Ugochukwu Nwokoro
- Vincent Marino
- Vincent Paolone
- Vivien Newbold
- Wendy Abourjeily
- William Crowe
- William Sawyer
- William Young
- Yaw Ayesu Offei
- Zeeshan Tayeb
- Ziad Daoudi
- Zoraida Mendez
Ohio Medical Marijuana Card Cost
There are 2 costs associated with getting your medical marijuana card in Ohio: the examination fee and the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy fee.
As of September 2021, the fee is $50 for the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy. The exam fee depends on who you go with from the CTR list above but expect to pay between $175 and $250. All together, you are looking at a total cost of $225 to $300.
Your card will be good for a year from the date of issue, after that you will need to renew. Renewal exams are generally around $100 and you will again have the $50 fee, so $150 per year to keep your card active.
Where to Buy Medical Marijuana in Ohio
The state of Ohio initially issued 57 dispensary licenses. Of those, there are currently 52 active dispensaries. Click here for a list of Ohio dispensaries.
As of April 2021, the state has an RFI out for 73 additional dispensary licenses.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I grow my own marijuana?
- No, current Ohio lawn does not allow individuals to grow marijuana.
- What is a caregiver?
- A caregiver is a person you designate during your application who can purchase, possess and administer medical marijuana for you. Patients under 18 are required to have a caregiver. There is a $25 fee paid to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy for each caregiver card.
- How many caregivers can I have?
- You can designate a maximum of 2 caregivers.
- Can my employer still drug test me?
- Yes, medical marijuana patients are not exempt from Ohio employee drug tests. Employers can handle these situations at their discretion.
