Cannabis is also called marijuana. Its psychoactive properties are primarily due to one cannabinoid: delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and THC concentration is commonly used as a measure of cannabis potency.
The legal status of cannabis use, for medical as well as recreational purposes, varies internationally as well as across the United States. In Ohio, House Bill 523, effective on September 8, 2016, legalizes medical marijuana. However the program will not be fully operational until September 8, 2018. The Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program will allow people with certain medical conditions, to purchase and use medical marijuana. This is after the recommendation of an Ohio-licensed physician certified by the State Medical Board.
Patients will require an identification card. The only valid state ID cards will be issued by the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy once the state’s patient registry becomes available no later than September 2018. Please note that no patient identification cards are being issued by the state of Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Control Program (MMCP) at this time.
Certified physicians may recommend medical marijuana only for the treatment of a qualifying medical condition. Under Ohio law, all of the following are qualifying medical conditions: AIDS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy or another seizure disorder, fibromyalgia, glaucoma, hepatitis C, inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable, Parkinson’s disease, positive status for HIV, post-traumatic stress disorder, sickle cell anemia, spinal cord disease or injury, Tourette’s syndrome, traumatic brain injury, and ulcerative colitis.
Patients taking cannabis for medical treatment should consider:
- Prior experience with cannabis – Patients with no prior experience with cannabis are more likely to experience the psychoactive effects as dysphoric rather than pleasurable. Patients who are regular cannabis users are more likely to be tolerant to some of the adverse effects, eg, cognitive and psychomotor impairment.
- Cannabinoid content – “Dosing” of cannabis is determined by the means of administration, frequency, and amount used as well as the cannabinoid content of the recommended strain (especially in terms of THC and THC:cannabidiol ratio).
- Route of administration:
- Smoked and inhaled cannabis have a rapid onset of effect which is typically minutes and relatively short duration of action which is typically two to four hours. These routes are preferred by some patients because they allow frequent and precise titration of dose to effect (eg, analgesia).
- Oral cannabis has a slow onset of effect (typically half to one hour) and long duration of action (typically 4 to 12 hours). This may lead to inadvertent overdosing; when patients don’t experience effects as soon as they expect, they may take another dose, resulting in a cumulative overdose. This is especially likely by patients familiar with the rapid onset of smoked or inhaled cannabis
At this time The Ohio State University Wilce Student Health Center is not participating in Ohio’s Medical Marijuana Program however you can find updates at : Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program http://medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov
Annmarie DiMeo