New condition now qualifies for Ohio medical marijuana

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohioans with irritable bowel syndrome are now eligible for medical marijuana.

The State Medical Board last week unanimously approved IBS as a qualifying condition for Ohio’s medical marijuana program, making it the 26th ailment on the list. Two other conditions – autism spectrum and obsessive-compulsive disorders – did not make the cut.

IBS is a gastrointestinal disorder associated with irregular bowel movements, excessive gas, abdominal pain and cramps, according to the Cleveland Clinic. About 10 to 15% of adults in the U.S. have IBS, though only 5 to 7% receive a diagnosis.

Some studies have found that cannabis can reduce gastric acid and hypersensitivity in the gut, although few large-scale clinical trials exist to analyze its effects, according to an October 2022 report from the Minnesota Department of Health. Other studies suggest marijuana users with IBS had lower hospitalization rates than their counterparts.

The Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association, an advocacy group that represents the state’s medical marijuana license holders, applauded the board’s decision to qualify IBS for the program, according to Charlie Trefny, the association’s government affairs director.

“While this addition will help expand patient access to medical marijuana and help many Ohio patients with this condition, we are disappointed the board did not approve autism spectrum disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder,” Trefny said in a statement.

On July 12, the board also rejected – for the fourth time since 2019 – a petition to include autism to the list of conditions.

Though some studies and central Ohioans with autism have suggested marijuana alleviates the symptoms of the neurological disorder, the board cited fears from Nationwide Children’s Hospital that more research is needed to understand the drug’s impact.

“In our view, there is little rigorous evidence that marijuana or its derivatives is of benefit for patients with autism and anxiety, but there is a substantial association between cannabis use and the onset or worsening of several psychiatric conditions,” a group of Nationwide Children’s Hospital physicians said in a 2022 letter.

But in recent years, there’s been bipartisan support among state lawmakers to expand the medical marijuana program’s reach to Ohioans with autism.

“While all these bills ultimately stalled in the legislature, a resounding message was clear,” Matt Close, executive director of the OMCIA, said in a statement. “Ohio’s patients and parents deserve the right to pursue alternative treatments for autism and should legally have access to the safe and tested medical marijuana that is produced in Ohio’s program.”

A current proposal before the legislature is Senate Bill 9, a massive proposal to overhaul the state’s medical marijuana program. If enacted, it would add autism and opioid use disorder to the list of approved conditions, though the OMCIA largely opposes the bill for its provisions that would expand the number of available medical cannabis licenses in Ohio.

As state lawmakers this year brainstorm ways to tweak Ohio’s medical marijuana program, a separate measure to entirely legalize adult-use of the drug could end up on the November ballot.

In addition to IBS, 25 medical conditions qualify for Ohio’s medical marijuana program: