Getting Your Ohio Medical Marijuana Recommendation
A Guide to Obtaining Your Medical Marijuana Recommendation in Ohio
Interested in learning if you qualify for medical marijuana?
The doctors at Compassionate Cleveland are truly your doctors. We provide a biopsychosocial formulation to weight the risks and benefits of treatment with Cannabis. Also, we review how your medical condition impacts your mental and emotional health. Finally, we decide on treatment goals and track your progress over time.
Understanding your medical history helps us plan your treatment.Because we cannot complete a medical marijuana evaluation without your medical records, we recommend you organize and send your records prior to your appointment.
If you already have your records, you may send them to our HIPAA-compliant e-mail addresses or fax line. To have your doctor send us a copy of your records or communicate directly with us, give them a printed, completed Release of Information. Or, you could just submit your Release of Information online on our website and have us coordinate with your doctor.
Your credit card will be billed at the time of scheduling to secure your appointment. Because we know most people don’t enjoy hanging out in waiting rooms with clipboards, we will send you e-mailed directions to our web portal to complete some registration paperwork. But don’t worry! Our online forms are easy-to-use and work on any computer or internet-enabled device or cellphone. Alternatively, you could print out the registration forms and send it to our secured fax or e-mail.
Step 4:Medical Marijuana Recommendations Before Ohio MMCP Rollout
All medical marijuana patients must be registered through Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP). However, the registration program does not exist at this time.
But If the program isn’t active, how can you recommend Medical Marijuana?
Until the registration program is functioning, Ohio law does allow for Ohioans who with a qualifying condition to obtain a statement of Affirmative Defense from their doctors. Ohio lawmakers provided an Affirmative Defense as a way to provide legal defense for medical marijuana patients2. It is a way for Ohio medical marijuana patients to prove they are following Ohio law. While there have been examples where officers may choose not to cite a person when they have an affirmative defense letter3 , an Affirmative Defense may not actually prevent an arrest or citation; it prevents conviction.
If you have questions regarding how the current laws regarding medical marijuana may affect you, please contact a licensed attorney with expertise in medical marijuana.
Step 5: Medical Marijuana Program Registration
Finally, when the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program is active, our physicians can submit your registration for approval.
To qualify, you must be an Ohio resident and you must have a valid government-issues ID. Accepted IDs include unexpired passports, US passport cards, state-issued driver’s licenses, or other state-issues IDs from the BMV).
After approval, you will receive your Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program card directly from the state. Your card will be valid for 1 year.
PLEASE NOTE: Compassionate Cleveland does NOT dispense any Cannabis products or possess any Cannabis products.
References:
1. Satterlund TD, Lee JP, Moore RS: Stigma Among California’s Medical Marijuana Patients. J Psychoactive Drugs 47:10-17, 2015
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