Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Ohio’s Republican governor John Kasich made waves last year when he signed an expansive medical marijuana bill and brought the typically conservative Buckeye State into the world of legal weed. But when Kasich signed House Bill 523 almost a year ago, he also set up a system of delays that has restricted Ohio ganja-preneurs from opening dispensaries until regulations have been fully set, a feat that most state officials don’t expect to be complete before mid-2018.
In the meantime though, some Ohio doctors have already begun giving medical marijuana recommendations to patients suffering from one of the state’s 21 qualifying conditions. Patients are then taking that paperwork across state lines to Michigan where some Detroit-area pot shops are serving the out-of-state customers.
According to the Associated Press, doctors at Toledo-based Omni Medical Services has been operating under state regulations that allow medical professionals to give qualifying medical marijuana seekers “affirmative defense” letters that can be presented to police officers or court officials to prevent arrest in the months between legalization and implementation.
Of course, the letters…
