5 things to know about Ohio’s medical marijuana law

Five questions about Ohio’s new medical marijuana law:

1. What conditions make someone eligible for medical marijuana? AIDS, ALS, Alzheimer's, cancer, chronic pain, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn's disease, epilepsy or other seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, PTSD, spinal cord conditions, Tourette's syndrome, traumatic brain injury and sickle cell anemia.

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2. How do patients get prescriptions? Doctors certified by the state Medical Board of Ohio can write recommendations for their patients to use medical marijuana. The certification rules have yet to be written.

3. When will medical marijuana be available in Ohio? The law says the program must be operational by September 2018 but the drugs may be available sometime before that deadline.

4. Who will regulate the new industry? The Ohio Department of Commerce will run a seed-to-sale program and establish the number of growers. The State Medical Board of Ohio will certify doctors who are eligible for recommend marijuana for their patients. The Ohio Pharmacy Board will register patients and caregivers and oversee dispensaries, including deciding how many there should be statewide.

5. Can patients or caregivers grow their own medical marijuana? No. Home grow is prohibited.