Ohio Makes Changes to Medical Marijuana Purchase Limits

The Ohio State Board of Pharmacy recently established a new rule for calculating a medical cannabis patient’s cannabis supply. With this updated rule taking effect immediately, the aim is to simplify the process patients, cannabis dispensaries, and caregivers calculate purchase limits. This new rule will ensure that medical marijuana patients in Ohio do not consciously or unconsciously exceed the 90-day cannabis possession limit clearly penned in the state’s medical marijuana law. 

New Rule on Purchase Limits

According to this new rule, the 90-day period of each patient will be divided into two periods – 45 days per period. Furthermore, This new rule states that the first fill period which is 1-45 days will begin when the patient first purchases their cannabis supply. The second period will begin after 45 days and end after 90 days from the initial purchase. 

Medical marijuana patients can now purchase 45 days worth of product at any point in a 45-day period. However the days they patients don’t purchase cannabis won’t carry over to the next 45-day period, but patients won’t lose them either. After purchasing cannabis for that fill period either all at once or incrementally, the patient will not be able to purchase another supply until the next period begins. 

Patients are not necessarily required by this new rule to purchase a 45-day cannabis supply from dispensaries in the state. However, they are allowed to purchase a maximum of 45-day cannabis supply regardless of how much was purchased in the last fill period. 

Board spokesman Cameron McNamee said that, “We hope this will provide greater transparency for patients, caregivers and dispensary employees while still taking steps to ensure patients do not possess more than 90-day supply as stipulated in the Ohio Revised Code.”

Former Rule 

Prior to this new rule made by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy, the days’ patients did not purchase cannabis were removed or subtracted from their 90-day period. That prevented them from purchasing additional medical cannabis before they reached the 90-day supply limit. This new rule was made by the board’s director under a resolution relating to how the state is responding to the outbreak of the CoronaVirus. 

Fortunately, Governor Mike de Wine classified  Ohio medical marijuana dispensaries as essential businesses under the current stay-at-home order issued on March 22. Other rules applying to Ohio’s medical marijuana program have also been eased in the past several weeks, including allowing physicians to recommend medical marijuana through telemedicine video conferencing and allowing dispensaries to offer curbside pickup.