I am a patient looking for a doctor to recommend medical marijuana for me:

• Physicians who wish to recommend medical marijuana in Ohio must have an active Certificate to Recommend (CTR) from the State Medical Board of Ohio. If your current doctor does not have an active CTR, you can find a certified physician here.

I am a physician wishing to recommend medical marijuana:

• Physicians interested in recommending the use of medical marijuana for patients must apply for a certificate to recommend from the State Medical Board of Ohio.

State Medical Board of Ohio Rules for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program

• 4731-32-01 Definition of terms
• 4731-32-02 Certificate to recommend medical marijuana
• 4731-32-03 Standard of care
• 4731-32-04 Suspension and revocation of certificate to recommend
• 4731-32-05 Petition to request additional qualifying condition or disease

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• WILL MEDICAL MARIJUANA BE AVAILABLE TO MINORS?

  Yes. However, a physician holding an active certificate to recommend may recommend treatment with medical marijuana only after obtaining the consent of a parent or another person responsible for providing consent to treatment.

• WILL CHILDREN NEED AN ID CARD TO BECOME A MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENT?

  Yes, both the patient and the patient’s caregiver will need an official, unexpired ID to present to the recommending physician before they can enter the individuals into the Patient & Caregiver registry. Valid forms of ID: a state driver’s license; a US Passport; an identification card issued by the Ohio Bureau of Motor vehicles. These BMV cards can be issued to minors and adults who do not have a driver’s license.

• WHO CAN APPLY FOR A CERTIFICATE TO RECOMMEND (CTR) MEDICAL MARIJUANA?

  Applicants must hold an active, unrestricted MD or DO license from the State Medical Board of Ohio. Additionally, applicants will need to complete at least two hours of continuing medical education that will assist in diagnosing qualifying conditions, treating those conditions with medical marijuana and possible drug interactions. Full requirements for a certificate to recommend outlined in Ohio Administrative Code 4731-32-02.

• WHERE CAN A PHYSICIAN FIND THE QUALIFYING CME TRAINING?

  Only medical marijuana CMEs approved by the Ohio State Medical Association and the Ohio Osteopathic Association meet the requirements for a certificate to recommend. OSMA has posted information on its website; OOA will be sharing additional information soon.

• HOW OFTEN SHOULD A CTR PHYSICIAN SEE A PATIENT RECEVING MEDICAL MARIJUANA?

  Physicians will need to see their medical marijuana patients in-person at least once per year. It is imperative that physicians recommending with their CTR follow the medical board’s Standard of Care Rule for the medical marijuana control program. Click here to read all the requirements in the rule.

• WHAT ARE THE QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT MAY BE TREATED WITH MEDICAL MARIJUANA?

  Certified physicians may recommend medical marijuana only for the treatment of a qualifying medical condition. Under Ohio law, all of the following are qualifying medical conditions: 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.

• HOW CAN NEW QUALIFYING MEDICAL CONDITIONS BE ADDED?

  The State Medical Board of Ohio established Nov. 1, 2018 – Dec. 31, 2018 as the first submission period for petitions to add a qualifying medical condition to the Medical Marijuana Control Program. PETITIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED BEFORE NOV. 1, 2018. During the 2018 submission period, all petitions should be filed electronically through the State’s website, medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov. A petition needs to include:

  • The name and contact information
  • Specific disease or condition requested to be added
  • Information from experts who specialize in the study of the disease or condition
  • Relevant medical or scientific evidence
  • Consideration of whether conventional medical therapies are insufficient to treat or alleviate the disease or condition
  • Evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana to treat or alleviate the disease or condition and other types of medical or scientific documentation
  • Letters of support provided by physicians

  Under Ohio law, all of the following are already identified as qualifying medical conditions: 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.

• MAY A LICENSEE OF THE MEDICAL BOARD (LIKE A MASSAGE THERAPIST) USE PRODUCTS CONTAINING CBD OIL?

  No. Ohio law does not authorize any Medical Board licensee to possess medical marijuana in the course of his or her practice. This includes the application of massage oils and creams containing cannabinoids, including THC or CBD.