On Monday, November 29th, 2021, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy filed a rule eliminating the confusing tiered system for calculating medical marijuana flower purchases, and allowing patients to buy more cannabis in a 90-day period.
Patients with medical marijuana cards in Ohio have been subject to a tiered system in which understanding how much medical marijuana flower you can still purchase in your 90-day time-period requires a PhD in calculus. Marijuana flower with a THC concentration of 23% or less is considered Tier I, and 2.83 grams is considered a one-day supply.
Things get too confusing for this author to even try to explain when THC concentration for medical marijuana flower is above 23%. This falls into the Tier II category; and while the chart provided by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy does make the amount restriction clear, figuring out how they come up with the numbers is another story.
Ohio Medical Marijuana Patients Unable to Purchase Full 90-Day Supply
In the end, patients somehow end up not actually having access to their full supply of medicine over a 90-day period, whether they buy Tier I medical marijuana flower, or Tier II medical marijuana flower. Some patients are forced to fill in the gaps on the unregulated black market, or to travel to Michigan for the remaining supply.
Ohio Board of Pharmacy Proposed Rule Change
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy has been scheduled to meet December 6 - 7, 2021, and the new rule change will be finalized at this time. Once adopted, the rule will likely go into effect on January 3rd, 2022.
Tier I and II Who? Medical Marijuana Allowed Amount to Remain Same Regardless of THC Content
Buying medical marijuana at Ohio dispensaries is about to get easier. The new rule will do away with the tiered system entirely, and allow patients to purchase the same amount of medical marijuana flower over a 90-day period regardless of THC content. This means no more confusion at Ohio cannabis dispensary counters when patients are trying to figure out how much more medicine they can buy.
Patients Will be Able to Purchase More Marijuana Flower
Patients will also be able to purchase more marijuana flower in each 90-day period. Rather than 8 ounces of Tier I marijuana flower or 5.3 ounces of Tier II marijuana flower, medical marijuana patients in Ohio will be able to purchase 9 ounces of medical marijuana flower per 90-day period regardless of THC concentration.
Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Program Slowly but Surely Getting the Overhaul Patients Deserve
In addition to the Ohio Board of Pharmacy’s rule changes related to the amount of medical marijuana flower patients can purchase over a 90-day period, more changes have recently been implemented that will vastly improve the current program.
More Dispensaries Coming Soon!
The Ohio Board of Pharmacy recently approved additional licensing for more dispensaries to open across the Buckeye State. The board originally approved 57 dispensary licenses in total, but some estimates indicate that there is now only one pharmacy per 6,000 patients. This has led to higher medical marijuana prices and lower levels of accessibility overall.
In response, the board has opened up an additional 73 licenses, bringing the total number of cannabis dispensaries authorized to operate in Ohio to 130. For patients, this means it’s more likely you’ll find a dispensary near you, and competition will drive medical marijuana prices down.
More Cultivation Space Means Better Supply
In addition to a greater number of dispensaries coming to Ohio, existing cultivators are able to apply to expand their cultivation space. This means that the medical marijuana supply will finally catch up with demand.
Currently, based on calculations made for Ohio Marijuana Card’s Guide to Understanding Medical Marijuana Dispensary Prices, there is enough cultivation space to produce 3.5 ounces of dried marijuana flower per harvest for each patient active in the Ohio Medical Marijuana Patient Registry.
Once they expand, cultivators will be able to catch up to demand for marijuana products, and this will contribute to cannabis prices falling in Ohio.
More Conditions Added to the List
Legislators are also working on getting more conditions added to the list of conditions that qualify for medical marijuana in Ohio. Patients have been requesting Autism Spectrum Disorder to be added to the list since the Ohio medical marijuana program first became law, and they may finally get their wish with the new legislation currently being considered.
In addition to ASD, Ohio legislators are considering giving physicians more freedom to decide if their patients should be using cannabis for their conditions. In the future, Ohio may catch up to what other states with successful medical marijuana programs are doing, and allow doctors to recommend medical marijuana for any condition they believe will improve with the use of cannabis.
Dispensary Prices are Already Half of What They Were in 2019! Get Your Ohio Marijuana Card Today!
Medical marijuana dispensary prices have fallen dramatically since 2019 when the first shops opened. Many people don’t realize that they can now get legal medical marijuana at Ohio licensed dispensaries at a cost comparable to street prices.
Legislators and regulators are finally beginning to understand what patients want and need in a medical marijuana program, and improvements are underway!
Ohio Marijuana Card’s doctors are here to help you get access to the natural care you deserve! Once you have your card, you can shop at any dispensary and buy medical marijuana flower, vape products, tinctures, edibles, topicals and more!
Give us a call today at (866)457-5559, or simply schedule an appointment with one of our marijuana doctors online today!
Doctors Who Care.
Relief You Can Trust.
Here at Ohio Marijuana Card, our goal is to help everyone achieve wellness safely and conveniently through increased access to medical marijuana. Our focus on education, inclusion, and acceptance will reduce the stigma for our patients by providing equal access to timely information and compassionate care.
If you have any questions, call us at (866) 457-5559, or simply book a medical marijuana evaluation to start getting relief you can trust today!
Check out Ohio Marijuana Card’s Blog to keep up to date on the latest medical marijuana news, tips, and information. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to join the medical marijuana conversation in Ohio.