Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
There would be 40 shops in Ohio licensed to dispense medical marijuana, under rules proposed today by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.
The board, one of three agencies overseeing the new medical marijuana law that took effect Sept. 8, said additional dispensaries may be licensed "based upon the state population, patient population and geographic distribution of dispensary sites to ensure patient access."
Each dispensary will have to pay an $80,000 licensing fee every two years and "demonstrate adequate capital to meet facility plans and operational needs," the proposed rules say.
The dispensaries will be required to report medical marijuana sales to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System, which tracks drug prescribed and recommended by physicians in the state. They will also need to have a clinical director on staff who is either a licensed pharmacist or a licensed prescriber.
Each dispensary will have to "maintain records and implement security measures, including surveillance cameras," the rules say.
A second set of proposed rules for physicians was issued today by the State Medical Board of Ohio.
Those rules say that in for physicians to recommend (not prescribe) marijuana to patients they must have an active, unrestricted license "to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery." They must also take a two-hour medical marijuana training course.
The medical marijuana licensing procedure follows the same process as existing medical licensure and requires no separate background check.
The rules also say a physician must "establish and maintain a bona fide physician patient relationship that is established in an in-person visit" and provide care for patients on an on-going basis. Patients have to be diagnosed as having one of 21 diseases or medical conditions cited in the medical marijuana law approved by the legislature and signed by Gov. John Kasich earlier this year.
The medical board rules also provide for the possibility of adding more diseases or medical conditions to the list.
In addition to proposing rules for dispensaries and physicians, state officials today proposed changes to a third set of rules for pot growers initially recommended in November.
The revisions would double the number of small marijuana growing sites to 12 from six, while keeping larger growers capped at 12 locations.
But grow sites would be increased in size to 25,000 square feet from 15,000 square feet for large growers and to 3,000 from 1,600 square feet for smaller growers.
The revised rules would also permit a one-time "build out" of growing sites to a maximum of 50,000 square feet for large and 6,000 square feet for small sites.
The previously proposed size limits were criticized as being too small by a number of individuals and organizations, including Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a group that dropped plans to put a marijuana issue on the state ballot after state lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year. The group estimates there will be 188,000 medical marijuana patients in Ohio; the state has not made an estimation.
All the rules must be approved by the Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee which was created by Bill 523, the medical-marijuana law signed earlier this year by Gov. John Kasich. The bill allows people with any of 21 specified diseases and conditions to get a recommendation -- not a prescription -- from a doctor to obtain the drug in the form of plant material, oil, tincture, edible or a patch. It can be vaped but not smoked under the law.
The rules must also undergo a review by the state Common Sense Initiative, which is operated out of the lieutenant governor's office, and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, a panel of state legislators.
The rules are online and available for public comment at medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/rules.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Proposed Rules Would Allow 40 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Ohio
Author: Alan Johnson
Contact: 614-461-5200
Photo Credit: iStock
Website: The Columbus Dispatch
The board, one of three agencies overseeing the new medical marijuana law that took effect Sept. 8, said additional dispensaries may be licensed "based upon the state population, patient population and geographic distribution of dispensary sites to ensure patient access."
Each dispensary will have to pay an $80,000 licensing fee every two years and "demonstrate adequate capital to meet facility plans and operational needs," the proposed rules say.
The dispensaries will be required to report medical marijuana sales to the Ohio Automated Rx Reporting System, which tracks drug prescribed and recommended by physicians in the state. They will also need to have a clinical director on staff who is either a licensed pharmacist or a licensed prescriber.
Each dispensary will have to "maintain records and implement security measures, including surveillance cameras," the rules say.
A second set of proposed rules for physicians was issued today by the State Medical Board of Ohio.
Those rules say that in for physicians to recommend (not prescribe) marijuana to patients they must have an active, unrestricted license "to practice medicine and surgery or osteopathic medicine and surgery." They must also take a two-hour medical marijuana training course.
The medical marijuana licensing procedure follows the same process as existing medical licensure and requires no separate background check.
The rules also say a physician must "establish and maintain a bona fide physician patient relationship that is established in an in-person visit" and provide care for patients on an on-going basis. Patients have to be diagnosed as having one of 21 diseases or medical conditions cited in the medical marijuana law approved by the legislature and signed by Gov. John Kasich earlier this year.
The medical board rules also provide for the possibility of adding more diseases or medical conditions to the list.
In addition to proposing rules for dispensaries and physicians, state officials today proposed changes to a third set of rules for pot growers initially recommended in November.
The revisions would double the number of small marijuana growing sites to 12 from six, while keeping larger growers capped at 12 locations.
But grow sites would be increased in size to 25,000 square feet from 15,000 square feet for large growers and to 3,000 from 1,600 square feet for smaller growers.
The revised rules would also permit a one-time "build out" of growing sites to a maximum of 50,000 square feet for large and 6,000 square feet for small sites.
The previously proposed size limits were criticized as being too small by a number of individuals and organizations, including Ohioans for Medical Marijuana, a group that dropped plans to put a marijuana issue on the state ballot after state lawmakers passed a bill earlier this year. The group estimates there will be 188,000 medical marijuana patients in Ohio; the state has not made an estimation.
All the rules must be approved by the Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee which was created by Bill 523, the medical-marijuana law signed earlier this year by Gov. John Kasich. The bill allows people with any of 21 specified diseases and conditions to get a recommendation -- not a prescription -- from a doctor to obtain the drug in the form of plant material, oil, tincture, edible or a patch. It can be vaped but not smoked under the law.
The rules must also undergo a review by the state Common Sense Initiative, which is operated out of the lieutenant governor's office, and the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review, a panel of state legislators.
The rules are online and available for public comment at medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/rules.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Proposed Rules Would Allow 40 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries In Ohio
Author: Alan Johnson
Contact: 614-461-5200
Photo Credit: iStock
Website: The Columbus Dispatch
