Editor's note: Read our more updated story on how to get medical marijuana in Ohio here.
Wondering how to get a medical marijuana card in Ohio? Many people are asking this question these days. Now that medical marijuana is legal, how can I get an Ohio Marijuana Card?
Randy Shaffer says he's been trying different medications for years to ease his pain.
"I have a very rare form of gout it forms in my tissue rather than just the joints, so it's just unbelievable pain," said Shaffer.
Nothing worked until one day he tried marijuana.
"Within 15 minutes, I was literally doing jumping jacks in my kitchen
I'm sitting there looking at my wife and I'm like, look at this, this is amazing, he said while laughing.
Once medical marijuana became legal in Ohio, he visited the folks at Ohio Marijuana Card.
"Ohio marijuana card is a place where patients can come see state-certified doctors that help patients get approved for medical marijuana," said the President of Ohio Marijuana Card, Connor Shore.
There are certain qualifications for the card.
"When a patient comes in, they bring in medical records, they should bring in medical records and the doctor will do a brief physical examination, discuss medical marijuana and how it could benefit them and then reviews their medical history and medical records," said Shore.
Medical records have to show evidence of at least one of 21 conditions:
- Hepatitis C
- AIDS
- Multiple sclerosis
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
- Crohn’s disease
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
- Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
- Traumatic brain injury
- Fibromyalgia
- HIV
- Glaucoma
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable
- Spinal cord disease or injury
- Parkinson’s disease
- Cancer
- Post-traumatic stress disorder
- Sickle cell anemia
- Ulcerative colitis
"The most common is chronic pain," said Shore. "When you look at programs across the country it's roughly 80-85 percent of medical marijuana patients are being treated for chronic pain."
Medical marijuana isn't being distributed in Ohio just yet, but Shaffer says he'll be first in line.
"Im excited for all the dispensaries to open, I'm eagerly anticipating them," he said.
