Medical Marijuana patient registry put on hold in Ohio

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on July 18, 2018.

Ohio state regulators put on the launch of medical marijuana patient registry on hold. The launch was pushed back because of unexpected delays in bringing Ohio's newest treatment to market.

The online registry was expected to begin early this month, however, Grant Miller, a spokesman for the pharmacy board, said that the agency has decided to push back the launch until officials have a clearer idea of when medical marijuana will be widely available.

In a bid to receive an identification card, which is must to buy medical marijuana from any licensed dispensaries, patients and their caregivers are required to register with the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.

Ohio medical marijuana patients were expected to get medical marijuana by September 8. However, none of the 25 cultivators licensed to grow marijuana received permission to begin planting in time to meet that deadline.

"What we're doing now is reassessing what would be best for patients here in Ohio,'' Miller said. "We're trying to find the most suitable date (to launch the patient registry) for patients to be served well.''

Miller said delaying the launch has nothing to do with the pharmacy department's readiness.

"The registry has been tested, and we're confident in its functionality and usage,'' Miller said. "It basically just has to be turned on. Whenever we have a date, we'll be ready.''

The Ohio Department of Commerce, which regulates the growers, meanwhile, is yet to set a date when it expects medical marijuana to be available to be dispensed in Ohio.

Only FN Group Holdings in Ravenna has been given the green signal to start growing marijuana as it has passed the inspection test.

Ohio legalized medical marijuana after it passed the House Bill 523 in June 2016. It said people could buy it out of state if they had a doctor's note – although few people have taken that option.

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