We've already walked patients through the process of obtaining a medical marijuana card in Ohio, as well as collecting your medical records before your appointment. But how does someone become a caregiver to a medical marijuana patient?
Thankfully, the process isn't very difficult, but like many of Ohio's medical marijuana rules, there are a few minor hurdles that caregivers must jump in order to become a registered caregiver for a patient.
How to Become a Caregiver in Ohio
According to Ohio's medical marijuana caregiver resource, becoming a caregiver is simple and easy, requiring the following steps:
Registry Identification Cards: All patients and caregivers wishing to obtain medical marijuana must receive a state-issued medical marijuana patient ID card.
Caregiver Eligibility: Individuals 21 and older can serve as a caregiver for no more than two medical marijuana patients. Each patient can have up to two caregivers.
Patient and Caregiver Registration: The recommending physician, or a physician delegate, must submit the caregiver and patient's name to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy medical marijuana patient and caregiver registry following their recommendation for medical marijuana.
Registration Fees: The annual registration fee for a patient is $50. The registration fee for caregivers is $25. Veterans receive a 50% discount on this registration fee.
Minors: Patients under the age of 18 are required to have a parent or legal representative serve as their caregiver.
Unfortunately, due to the restrictions for how many patients a caregiver can care for, marijuana patient-caregiver delivery services seen in many other states with active mmj programs are effectively banned in Ohio. The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program will allow appeals to Ohio HB 523 starting in November. It's possible we will see a legal challenge to the caregiver patient limit at some point in the future.
Patients suffering from one of the 21 qualifying medical conditions need only have their caregiver receive a recommendation from their medical marijuana doctor to become a caregiver. The doctor sends off this recommendation to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, who contacts the patient and caregiver to collect their registration fees. After this point, patients and caregivers have access to every Ohio medical marijuana dispensary.
As always, if there are any changes to the program, we will be sure to inform our patients, customers and readers as quickly as possible. In the meantime, sign up today to get your medical marijuana card recommendation from one of our certified medical marijuana doctors.