Sources: The Columbus Dispatch, Health Policy Institute of Ohio, and the Ohio State Medical Association
On April 13, the Ohio House of Representatives introduced House Bill 523, a bill that would legalize medical marijuana.
- Create a nine-member marijuana control commission under the Ohio Department of Health with representatives from the physician, law enforcement, drug treatment, and mental health communities. Rules would be created within one year to regulate farms, dispensaries, laboratories, processors, and physicians
- Require physicians to report every 90 days on the types of patients and considerations they are recommending for marijuana and why it was chosen over other medicines
- Allow for edibles, patches, plant material, and oils
- Prohibit homegrown marijuana
- Distribute marijuana dispensaries on a population basis, similar to how the Liquor Control Commission operates now
- Ensure that employers with drug-free workplaces can maintain those policies meaning a person prescribed marijuana who violates a workplace drug policy still can face disciplinary action.
Ohio State Medical Association (OSMA) President Brian Bachelder, MD, issued a statement opposing the legislation because “it draws conclusions about the medicinal benefits of marijuana absent conclusive clinical research:”
“While the OSMA values medical innovation that transforms health care delivery and improves the health of patients, the OSMA opposes this measure because it draws conclusions about the medicinal benefits of marijuana absent conclusive clinical research.
The OSMA policy, updated on April 2, supports Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved clinical research to explore the potential benefits of using marijuana to treat specific medical conditions. If research yields proven medicinal benefits of marijuana and is approved by the Food and Drug Administration, the OSMA would only then support focused and controlled use of the drug or its chemical components when prescribed by a physician.
The OSMA policy is consistent with procedures that must be successfully completed before any legal drug is approved as medicine for the safety and benefit of patients.”
In addition, Dr. Bachelder told newsnet5.com that the OSMA does not support the legislation, but believes it is a better approach than a ballot initiative.
Lawmakers have indicated that they plan to move quickly with this legislation. They would like to derail efforts to put legalization into the state constitution and believe this legislation is a more responsible way to address medical marijuana rather than the two ballot initiatives that are currently circulating to gather signatures in an effort to reach the November ballot.
View the American Academy of Family Physicians policy on marijuana.
In addition, the Health Policy Institute of Ohio recently launched a marijuana legalization in Ohio resource page to provide stakeholders with research and other resources related to the issue.