COLUMBUS – Ohio is one step away from becoming the 25th state in the U.S. to legalize marijuana for medical use.
The legislation cleared both houses of the General Assembly Wednesday and was sent to Gov. John Kasich for his signature.
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The bill would bar patients from smoking the substance but allow them to use it in vapor form. They couldn’t grow it at home.
The bill puts cultivators, processors and testing labs under the eye of the Ohio Department of Commerce. The Pharmacy Board will be in charge of licensing retail dispensaries.
Physicians can recommend medical marijuana but may not furnish or dispense it.
The measure was fast-tracked through the Statehouse to head off a proposed ballot issue that may go before voters in November, but the backers of that issue say they will continue their efforts.
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Ohioans for Medical Marijuana says the General Assembly’s measure falls short by omitting some qualifying conditions, such as muscular dystrophy, autism “with aggressive or self-injurious behavior” and Huntington’s disease.
The group also think patients should be allowed to smoke medical cannabis and grow small amounts.
If signed into law, medical marijuana legalization would be phased in over a two-year period. One year would be spent formulating regulations and the second year implementing them.
Under the bill, communities could opt out of hosting dispensaries, and employers who want to maintain drug-free workplaces would be protected from liability.