Ohio medical marijuana

Appalachianhills

Well-Known Member
Has anyone done any research on this legislation that kasich just signed off on? I just became aware of this moments ago. From the looks of it the state is trying to lock down the industry... vape and edibles only no home grow for the patients. Just seems kind of strange that they make it so hard for a citizen initiative to make the ballot but when the $ is on their end it can be just signed into law.
 

Appalachianhills

Well-Known Member
I'm very pleased that patients are going to have access to non opiate medicine it's just a Damn shame that the ppl can't choose how and where they get medicine
 

emepher

Well-Known Member
I'm very pleased that patients are going to have access to non opiate medicine it's just a Damn shame that the ppl can't choose how and where they get medicine
It is a damn shame indeed, since there will be no home growing, no smoking (or no legal protection if patients "misuse" it by smoking it), and so far no distribution or prescriptions. I understand the list of applicable medical conditions is (or will be?) relatively short and strict. It mat also be a couple years before legal marijuana is available at all in Ohio, since the commission or committee or whatever responsible for writing the distribution rules will not even meet until next May.

While it is nice that the clowns in Columbus finally got something done on this front, Ohio's medical marijuana program will been among the most restrictive anywhere. Honestly, it seems like they've just kicked the can down the road and bought some time without actually giving patients anything substantive. Actual availability is probably still two years away, realistically, which leaves plenty of time for the law to be amended or killed. And citizen-backed initiatives have either been abandoned in acceptance of the new law or are financially unviable and not going anywhere. In my admittedly pessimistic opinion, the medical marijuana bill signed into law by Gov. Kasich is more of a victory for the anti-marijuana crowd than for patients in need.

So until all this is settled, good luck in Ohio. All you will have when the law goes into effect will be an affirmative defense should you be charged with a marijuana crime, which is a bit dubious with a prescription (which doctors will not write before the board pf pharmacy tells them how they may do so), or a legal source. Even getting legal advice is tricky. The best route to sensible marijuana reform in Ohio may still be outright legalization via a petition drive and a constitutional amendment. A pretty fair number of voters who nixed the last attempt said their main sticking point was the appearance of a state-sponsored monopoly, so without that, a similar broad legalization attempt should have a good shot.

For the record, I'm no expert on Ohio law, or much of anything for that matter, but I do try to pay attention, so I apologize if I misunderstand or misrepresent any of this. I'm just a guy who hated seeing his grandmother suffer as she withered away in Ohio, with numerous prescriptions that had a huge range of side effects and little upside. The family seriously debated trying marijuana for the chronic pain, restless legs, insomnia, poor appetite, and maybe even the other parkinson's symptoms, but the legal status ended up being the deciding factor in keeping us from reaching a consensus in favor of it. I'd simply like to remove that stupid hurdle, if nothing else. And I'm in favor of full-on legalization, or at least a liberal medical law more akin to how California handles it than a more locked-down version of what Michigan does.
 
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