Can I Use my Ohio Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan?

Can I Use My Ohio Medical Marijuana Card in Michigan?

Many states honor out-of-state documentation for medical marijuana patients of neighboring states, though these sales are mainly up to the discretion of each dispensary owner. While medical marijuana laws vary from state to state, this article explores Michigan state law regarding the sale of marijuana to Ohio residents. 

If you’re wondering if an Ohio marijuana card is right for you, schedule an exam with one of our Ohio Medical Marijuana Doctors. Completing our eligibility survey takes only 5 minutes. Find out if you pre-qualify for a recommendation!

Ohio Medical Marijuana Law: Challenges

Ohio state passed medical marijuana into law in September of 2018 with the program becoming fully operational in  January of 2019 under House Bill 523 [1]. As the law has not been in place for long, only a handful of dispensaries have opened. As of February 2019, only eight dispensaries were opened, meaning patients were hard pressed to find product within reasonable driving distance [2]. Furthermore, supply continues to be low relative to states where marijuana laws have been in place longer, so demand has driven prices higher. Making matters worse, patients are allowed only a 90-day supply of marijuana in their possession at a time. In the beginning, patients were confused because the dispensaries were only licensed to sell medical marijuana in flower form, yet state legislation permits only the use of vaporizers, edibles, oils, tinctures, and patches. Fortunately, it only took a few months for those licensing issues to be changed so that dispensaries could sell a full supply of marijuana products [1]. Still, while more than 50 dispensaries are now open statewide, many find the drive to those locations still too difficult to make [3].

Crossing State Lines to Buy Products

While you can’t bring medical marijuana across the border from Michigan to Ohio, there is good news for those who live nearer to dispensaries in Michigan, because Michigan law does allow for the sale of marijuana products to out-of-state card holders. This is known as “medical cannabis reciprocity” and “simply refers to whether or not each state has reciprocal (equal) laws with regard to whether patients can legally purchase medical marijuana when they are not in their home state where the card was issued” [4]. It is important to call dispensaries ahead of time, since the decision of whether to sell product to Ohio residents remains at the discretion of the dispensary owners. For those dispensaries that honor medical cannabis reciprocity, patients need only provide “a state-issued identification card and a medical marijuana program registry card from the same state” [5]. If you are caught bringing medical marijuana illegally from Michian into Ohio you can be charged under Ohio laws.

Medical Vs. Recreational Marijuana

A new law* permitting the sale of recreational marijuana in Michigan requires clarification for medical marijuana patients. First, whether for medical or recreational purposes, smoking marijuana in public is against Michigan law [5], and smoking medical marijuana is completely illegal in Ohio. “Under the [Ohio] medical marijuana program, certified physicians can recommend marijuana to their patients in the following forms only:

• • oils
  • tinctures
  • capsules
  • other edible forms that can be taken orally
  • patches for the administration of creams and ointments
  • metered oil or plant material that can be administered through a vaporizing device. (However, no vaping device that allows for direct contact of the medical marijuana with its heating element can be used for the vaporization of plant resin or its extracts)” [6].

*The sale of recreational marijuana in Michigan began on December 1, 2019. As such, Michigan dispensaries have been permitted to transfer 50% of their existing medical marijuana products to the recreational side of their shelves to meet demand. There is expected to be a limited supply of medical marijuana products which could last for many weeks [7].

Is Medical Marijuana Right for Me?

Whether medical marijuana will help your condition depends on many factors best evaluated by a medical doctor. If you feel you may benefit from medical marijuana, the first step is to take our eligibility survey. In just 5 minutes, you could pre-qualify for an Ohio medical marijuana recommendation. An Ohio Medical Marijuana Doctor can then determine if you qualify during an in-person exam. For more information, visit https://docmj.com/states/ohio/.

Editorial credit for image: Susan Montgomery / Shutterstock.com

1. https://www.iannfriedman.com/blog/2019/april/what-you-need-to-know-about-medical-marijuana-la/
2. https://www.10tv.com/article/ohio-medical-marijuana-patients-allege-they-were-caught-weed-trap
3. https://www.ohiomarijuanacard.com/ohio-dispensary-locations
4. https://thcphysicians.com/medical-marijuana-reciprocity/#tab-con-8
5. https://www.thenews-messenger.com/story/news/2018/06/10/comparing-ohio-and-michigan-marijuana-laws/681979002/
6. https://www.dfm-law.com/blog/2019/04/6-myths-about-legal-marijuana-use-in-ohio.shtml
7. https://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2019/12/01/recreational-marijuana-sales-begin-michigan-what-ohioans-need-know/4272362002/