Senate considering medical marijuana bill after House passage

As it nears a potential vote next week on medical marijuana, the Senate this week made a number of bill changes, including those that seek to speed up the implementation and give Ohioans immediate access to the drug (Source: “Patients could get medical marijuana from out-of-state under changes made by Senate,” Columbus Dispatch, May 18, 2016).

A chief complaint of the House-passed bill among medical marijuana proponents was Ohioans would have to wait for up to two years before getting access to the drug while regulations, farms and distributors were established.

The latest version of the bill, accepted in Senate committee on Wednesday, allows patients to obtain medical marijuana from out of state via prescription in forms legal under the bill, before the system is fully established in Ohio.

The Ohio House last week overwhelmingly approved the bill that would legalize medical marijuana (Source: “Legislation legalizing medical marijuana clears Ohio House,” Columbus Dispatch, May 10, 2016).

Some House members expressed reluctance about the bill, but after hearing of the drug's benefits and facing the prospect of a less-restrictive constitutional amendment on the November ballot, the bill was sent to the Senate by a vote of 71-26.

The Senate changes to the bill also include no longer giving regulatory authority to a new, appointed nine-member marijuana control commission. Instead, the state Pharmacy Board would administer the program, including licensing of dispensers and farms. The state Medical Board would issue certificates to doctors seeking to treat patients with marijuana.

The Health Policy Institute of Ohio created a Marijuana legalization in Ohio resource page to provide stakeholders with research and other resources related to the issue.