Ohio relaxes restrictions on medical marijuana purchases

Ohio is simplifying limits on medical marijuana purchases after patient complaints that restrictions prevented them from buying the medicine they need when they need it.

Patients will still be limited to a “90-day supply” of medical marijuana – that’s in state law.

But restrictions that cut off many patients before they came close to reaching that amount will be eliminated Friday per a new Ohio Board of Pharmacy policy.

Soon after Ohio medical marijuana sales began last year, patients noticed days on which they didn’t buy any product were subtracted from their 90-day total. So if a patient made his first purchase on day 30 of their recommendation, he could only buy 60 days worth of marijuana products.

Also subtracted: purchases made in the last 90 days. Patients had to wait for purchases to “fall off” after 90 days before they could buy more. The patient portal often showed an inaccurate number of remaining days.

Together, the restrictions created a situation where many patients never were able to buy close to 90 days, which is 8 ounces of dried marijuana or an equivalent amount of products.

The use-it-or-lose-it restriction is gone, as is the rolling 90-day count. [Read more at The Cincinnati Enquirer]