Ohio medical weed: State now accepting license applications from doctors

The State Medical Board of Ohio has begun accepting applications from physicians who want to be able to help patients get medical marijuana.

Doctors who want to join Ohio's medical marijuana program must have an active license to practice medicine in Ohio, take two hours of classes on diagnosing and treating conditions with medical marijuana and have no financial interests in medical marijuana companies.

Applications will be reviewed by the state medical board's licensure team and then presented to board members. The first round of approvals is expected on April 11, according to a news release.

Approved doctors will be able to hand out certificates expressing their professional opinion that a patient would benefit from medical weed.

Medical marijuana, which was approved by Ohio voters in 2016, is expected to be available to consumers for the first time this fall when the state's Medical Marijuana Control Program becomes fully operational on Sept. 8

Ohio patients being treated or diagnosed with up to 21 medical conditions will be able to buy medical marijuana in the form of oils, tinctures, edibles and patches. However, the law prohibits smoking marijuana.

All medical marijuana patients are required to register with the State Board of Pharmacy to receive a patient card that must be presented when purchasing medical marijuana from state-licensed stores known as dispensaries.

Sixty provisional licenses for dispensaries - including 15 in Cincinnati - up to 40 licenses for medical marijuana processors and an undetermined number of licenses for testing laboratories are expected to be awarded later this spring.

A total of 24 provisional licenses for large and small medical marijuana growers have already been awarded by the Ohio Department of Commerce. No growers were awarded licenses in Hamilton County.