CINCINNATI — The patient and caregiver registration fees for medical marijuana in Ohio have drastically dropped.
Those looking to acquire a medical marijuana card will now only be charged $0.01 (one cent) beginning Monday, March 4, according to the Division of Cannabis Control (DCC).
The DCC submitted a proposal to the Common Sense Initiative to eliminate the patient and caregiver fee outright, which is currently $50 for patients and $25 for caregivers annually. Currently, the DCC is working with a software company to remove the fee from the Medical Marijuana Patient & Caregiver registry, but in the meantime the fee has been reduced.
"The DCC understands that a one cent charge is not ideal; however, at this time the Division feels it is appropriate and necessary to provide this immediate financial relief for patients and caregivers in the short term while working toward a full fee elimination as soon as the updates to the registry can be made," the DCC said in a statement.
The reduction applies to both new medical marijuana cards as well as renewals. For those who already have medical marijuana cards, they do not need to submit any additional documentation or requests for the fee reduction.
The DCC estimates that the fee will be entirely removed by late spring.
The reduction in cost also comes just months after recreational marijuana was legalized in the November 2023 election.
In December, the Ohio Senate passed a bill making substantial changes to the original law, but months later that bill remains in the Ohio House. Multiple cities in southwest Ohio, including West Chester, Hamilton and Fairfield, have also banned recreational marijuana within city limits in different ways.
The DCC encourages medical marijuana card patients to remain patients for multiple reasons. The DCC said medical marijuana cards ensure patients are speaking with their doctors and provides patients with access to discounts that may be offered at dispensaries. Medical marijuana sales are also exempt from the 10% excise tax levied on recreational marijuana sales.
