![Nearly 75,000 Ohioans have registered with the state to receive medical marijuana. [Teri Virbickis / shutterstock]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fa6acee/2147483647/strip/true/crop/980x551+0+0/resize/840x472!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2019%2F12%2Fpot%20shutterstock_301537862.jpg)
Nearly 75,000 Ohioans have registered with the state to receive medical marijuana. Of those, just over 51,000 have actually purchased the product. Those involved with the program propose some changes they say will improve it for everyone.
Erin Reed, the Board of Pharmacy’s Director of Medical Marijuana, says proposed changes to the program will make it work better.
“We’ve been able to identify spaces that maybe looked good on paper or might have worked for another state based on that state’s particular set of circumstances but after it’s been implemented in Ohio, we’ve needed to tailor the rules so that it’s a better fit and also harmonizes with how our internal systems work in many cases.”
The proposed changes include making more information about dispensaries available to patients, providing non-child resistant packaging upon request, loosening rules on advertising to make it easier for patients to understand and providing discounts on products for former state employees receiving disability benefits from the public retirement systems.
The Board of Pharmacy is seeking input from the public on the proposed rule changes. Instructions on how to provide comments can be found here: https://www.medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov/Rules.
Copyright 2019 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.