With little fanfare, Gov. John Kasich on Wednesday signed a law creating a strictly regulated medical marijuana program.
Kasich’s communications team announced the signing without any comment, simply including it in a list with several other bills the governor also signed Wednesday.
The new law goes into effect 90 days after the bill is officially filed with the secretary of state, making the marijuana legal sometime in early September.
At that time, patients will have an “affirmative defense” against prosecution for marijuana possession charges if they have written permission from their doctor to use marijuana in a form allowed under the law. It could be a year or more until Ohioans can walk into a dispensary and buy medical marijuana.
Kasich forewent a public signing ceremony, opting to ink the bill with dozens of others late Wednesday afternoon.
Kasich opposed last year’s recreational marijuana measure and said at the time that medical marijuana wasn’t the answer for Ohioans suffering untreatable seizures and other debilitating diseases. His position on medical marijuana softened while campaigning to be the GOP’s presidential nominee, saying he’d look at the issue.
Ohio is the 25th state to pass a comprehensive medical marijuana program, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. The Ohio law prohibits smoking or growing marijuana at home but allows cannabis oils, tinctures, patches, edibles and plant material to be used and sold in state-licensed dispensaries.
The program will be regulated by the Ohio State Pharmacy Board, State Medical Board and Department of Commerce. A 14-member advisory board including pro-medical marijuana members would recommend rules to the three regulatory agencies.
The program must be operational within two years, according to the law, but lawmakers think it will take less time.
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