Substitute House Bill 523 - Medical Marijuana Control Program

• Establishes a Medical Marijuana Control Program administered jointly by the Department of Commerce and State Board of Pharmacy authorizing medical marijuana use for qualifying medical conditions including cancer, epilepsy, PTSD, chronic pain, and others.

• Requires physicians to obtain a "certificate to recommend" from the state medical board; physicians must establish a bona fide physician-patient relationship and review drug database records before recommending medical marijuana.

• Creates a licensing system for medical marijuana cultivators, processors, laboratories, and retail dispensaries, with background check requirements and disqualification criteria for certain criminal offenses.

• Limits initial laboratory testing licenses to public institutions of higher education in Ohio for the first year after the program begins accepting applications.

• Requires the Department of Commerce and State Board of Pharmacy to make the Medical Marijuana Control Program fully operational within two years of the effective date.

• Provides an affirmative defense to marijuana possession charges for registered patients and parents/guardians of minor patients with physician recommendations valid for up to 60 days after the State Board of Pharmacy begins accepting patient registration applications.