December 14, 2018 Update
Our team at Ohio Marijuana Card is still working day and night in order to register all of our eligible patients into Ohio's medical marijuana patient registry. Entering patients into Ohio's database is a multi-step, manual process that takes about 20-30 minutes per patient.
Though we have every qualified staff member working diligently to enter patients, because we have thousands of patients to enter into the database, this process is taking a lot of time. It is still our intention to have every eligible patient registered before dispensaries open. So sit tight. Your email with your recommendation letter is coming.
Thank you!
Last Monday, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program launched their official patient registry. Since that time, our team has worked diligently to deliver a social media thunderclap, informing not only the thousands of patients we at Ohio Marijuana Card have seen over the past year, but also prospective customers and interested Ohio cannabis advocates.
In addition, our entire staff have been working day and night to register as many of our patients as time and manpower allows. Our goal is to have every patient registered before dispensaries open in 2019. This process is manual and will take time, so please be patient while we register everyone. Also, we will let you know if there are going to be any further delays, so stay tuned.
In the meantime, you are welcome to peruse our recent blog entry, which walks patients through the process of registering their information and getting their card. Also, we have launched an informational podcast! You can watch it by clicking here or viewing the video below:
How many patients have been registered with the Ohio MMJ program thus far?
In just one week, the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program has reported that nearly 2000 patients have been registered by physicians. And of those who were registered, about half of the patients had already completed registration on their end and had their cards printed and in-hand. That number is expected to continue growing over the next few weeks as more and more patients are registered.
Because Ohio Marijuana Card has doctor offices all across Ohio, and offers affordable, easy to use services, we have accounted for more than half of the total entries. This means that we are well on target to continue registering around 50% of the total number of patients in Ohio seeking treatment with medical marijuana during the first year of the program.
Why do I have to register with the Ohio medical marijuana patient registry?
The Ohio medical marijuana patient registry is used to track medical marijuana patients throughout the state. This registry is cross-referenced when a patient visits a dispensary and signs in at their reception desk. In order to register, you must have a recommendation to use medical marijuana from a doctor certified by Ohio to recommend cannabis.
Each Ohio MMJ card (like the mock-up pictured above) has a unique QR code attached to your official registration entry. With your card in hand, and your registry information entered and paid for, you will be able to enter dispensaries and purchase, consume and transport cannabis throughout the Buckeye State.
How do I get an official Ohio medical marijuana card?
Patients hoping to get a medical marijuana card from Ohio must first visit a doctor (like our physicians) who are certified by the state to recommend medical cannabis. They look over your previous medical records, confirm a qualifying diagnosis, and perform a brief exam. If our physician determines that you qualify for cannabis, they write a letter of recommendation.
This rec letter is registered with the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy. Once our doctor has registered a patient, you will receive an email confirming this registration. Simply, confirm your information and pay a $50 registration fee to Ohio. From there, you will be assigned an official Ohio medical marijuana card. This card can be printed and used at dispensaries until a time when cards can be ordered from the program website.
When are Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries opening?
This is a question we have answered in a multitude of blog entries, but we will continue to answer this query each time because, frankly, the answer itself changes as we gather more information, and talk with dispensary owners and cultivators.
There are rumors of at least one dispensary, Cresco Labs in Wintersville, opening in December 2018, but the prospect of this happening appears to be fading by the day as we get deeper and deeper into the month. Keep an eye on this blog for an update if they open in December.
While cultivators are currently harvesting Ohio medical marijuana, and dispensaries are moving fast to open, many of the industry's moving parts (processors, testers, and even cultivators) have not yet been granted final approval by the state, and some companies are still seeking their final license. If there happens to be a delay in the process of any of these separate entities, this will mean that dispensaries won't be able to open as planned, at least not until the next big hurdle is jumped.
This could mean delays into 2019. While many cultivators and dispensaries feel confident that patients will be able to buy the first legal weed in Ohio around January/February 2019, it is possible not every company will be ready by that date. Product may be limited as a result.
Why all the delays with Ohio medical marijuana?
Understand, this is not a delay anyone in the industry is happy about. Every single person who has invested in cannabis in Ohio wants it to be open and ready to roll as soon as possible. There are patients all across Ohio who are suffering right now as a result of this delay, and need medicine to relive their pain.
Every single cultivator, processor, tester, dispensary owner, doctor and cannabis industry employee knows how important it is to Ohioans that the cannabis industry takes off here in the Buckeye State, and we are all working as quickly as possible to bring the finest quality medical marijuana to every qualifying patient in Ohio.
These delays are annoying, but know that literally thousands of hours are being poured into this effort, and people are working very hard to bring this industry to life. But we assure you, no matter what, cannabis is coming to Ohio!
If you are an Ohioan suffering from one of these 21 medical conditions you may be eligible to treat your ailment with medical marijuana.
Click here to learn more about what Ohio Marijuana Card's state-certified medical marijuana doctors can do for you, or give us a call at 1-866-457-5559 and our friendly support team can walk you through the entire process, and set you up with an appointment.