Ohio Medical Board Adds 3 Conditions to Medical Cannabis Program

The Ohio State Medical Board on Wednesday approved adding Huntington’s disease, terminal illness, and spasticity to the state’s medical cannabis qualifying conditions list, the Cincinnati Enquirer reports. There are now 25 conditions for which patients can access the state medical cannabis program.

It is the second condition expansion this year by the board. In February, it added arthritis, chronic migraines, and complex regional pain syndrome to the list.

The board, again, rejected petitions to add autism spectrum disorder, restless leg syndrome, panic disorder with agoraphobia and spasms — as they did in February. In all, the board had received 30 petitions to add new conditions for medical cannabis access. Those applications must include evidence that cannabis can be efficacious for treating the disease or condition and supporting letters from physicians.

As of May 27, there are 197,816 registered patients in Ohio, according to state data.

In April, the state Board of Pharmacy approved raising the number of dispensaries from 60 to 130 as patient counts climbed in the state. The board anticipates each dispensary can serve 300 to 600 patients.

Last year, the Medical Board approved cachexia, or wasting syndrome, to its qualifying conditions list for medical cannabis — marking the first time the body would approve adding a condition via the petition process. The board had also rejected anxiety and autism spectrum disorder at that time.