Medical Marijuana Doctors Cleveland
Medically reviewed by Cheryl-Lynn Bugailiskis, M.D., Ohio medical license 35.144103CTR and Certificate to Recommend LE-00039904. Last reviewed November 4, 2026.
A Cleveland Cannabis Card is an Ohio medical marijuana registration, valid statewide for one year. The first step is an exam by an Ohio physician who holds a Certificate to Recommend. Ohio charges no state registration fee. Cleveland residents use the same statewide Patient and Caregiver Registry as every Ohio patient. Read how to get an Ohio medical marijuana card for the registration and activation steps. The card lets you buy plant material and extracts to vaporize, plus tinctures, edibles, patches and topicals.
Your physician submits the registration, and you activate the card online at no state cost. An Ohio card works the same in Cleveland, Cincinnati and Columbus. Cleveland Medical Marijuana Card Evaluations must include a review of your medical history and 12 months of Ohio prescription records (OARRS). After the exam, the physician may recommend up to a 90-day supply with three renewals.
Cheryl-Lynn Bugailiskis, M.D. (Ohio medical license 35.144103CTR and Certificate to Recommend LE-00039904) is among the physicians who provide telehealth evaluations for Ohio patients with Dr. Green Relief.
How the Ohio Medical Marijuana Program Works
House Bill 523 created Ohio’s program in 2016, and patient sales began on January 14, 2019. The Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) runs it now.
To take part, you need a qualifying condition and a recommendation from a physician with an Ohio Certificate to Recommend (CTR). After the exam, which can be in person or by telehealth, your physician enters you in the Patient and Caregiver Registry and you activate the card online.
How the Ohio Medical Marijuana Program Works
House Bill 523 created Ohio’s program in 2016, and patient sales began on January 14, 2019. The Division of Cannabis Control (DCC) runs it now.
To take part, you need a qualifying condition and a recommendation from a physician with an Ohio Certificate to Recommend (CTR). After the exam, which can be in person or by telehealth, your physician enters you in the Patient and Caregiver Registry and you activate the card online.
What Cleveland Patients Should Know
Cleveland patients buy under the same daily limit as every Ohio buyer: 2.5 ounces of plant material and 15,000 mg of THC in other products. Registry questions go to the DCC helpline at 1-833-464-6627 or to Ohio’s Marijuana Program. Patients in Cleveland, Columbus, Cincinnati, and elsewhere in Ohio register the same way. The registry emails you a link to review your details and activate your card.
Cleveland marijuana doctors who recommend cannabis must hold an Ohio CTR and may not dispense it themselves. Conditions eligible under Ohio law include fibromyalgia, Tourette’s syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord disease, glaucoma, hepatitis C, cancer, terminal illness, epilepsy, HIV and PTSD, and the Board counts chronic migraines as chronic pain. The State Medical Board of Ohio publishes a list of physicians with an active Certificate to Recommend who say they are making recommendations, so you can check one before you book.
BENEFITS
Upfront Pricing
Buy Up To 4 Days’ Limit At Once
Buy At 18 Instead Of 21
Ohio Medical
Marijuana Control Program
Who runs Ohio’s medical marijuana program? Two state bodies share it. The State Medical Board of Ohio certifies physicians and adds qualifying conditions, and the DCC runs the patient registry and licenses dispensaries. Cleveland has no Dr. Green Relief office, and the practice has none elsewhere in Ohio. To get your Ohio Cannabis Card, you first need a recommendation from a physician on the State Medical Board’s CTR list, not only a Cleveland one. Under ORC 3796.22, registered patients who buy from a licensed dispensary may use and possess medical cannabis up to a 90-day supply. A DCC rule lets you keep the full supply only at home: elsewhere the limit is 2.5 ounces of plant material and 15,000 mg of THC, except while you take a purchase home with the receipt. Smoking medical cannabis is still not allowed.
AIDS / HIV
Cachexia
Chronic Pain
Cancer
Spasticity
Tourette syndrome
Glaucoma
Epilepsy
Parkinson’s disease
Ohio
Marijuana Card Cost
Ohio charges no state fee to activate or renew a patient or caregiver registration, so the $189 Dr. Green Relief new patient telehealth evaluation is the main cost of an Ohio Medical Marijuana Card, and a recommendation lasts up to 90 days.
Ohio Medical
Marijuana Laws
Within the limits of ORC 3796.22, your Ohio Medical Marijuana Card covers buying, possessing and using medical marijuana, up to a 90-day supply.
Cleveland
Marijuana Dispensaries
With an active card you can buy at any of the 28 dispensaries the DCC lists in Cuyahoga County, 10 with a Cleveland address. Licensed dispensaries must prominently display their DCC license seal, and from June 1, 2027, every cannabis package they receive for sale must carry the DCC seal. Patients may buy four days of the limit at once.
Ohio Telehealth
Evaluation
$189/visit
Video Visit For Ohio Patients
Ohio Allows Video Exams; An In-Person Exam May Be Required
90-Day Recommendation, 3 Renewals
Ohio Requires A Physician With A Certificate To Recommend
90-Day Recommendation, 3 Renewals
Ohio Cannabis
Card Term
1 year
DCC Sends A Renewal Notice 45 Days Ahead
90-Day Recommendation, 3 Renewals
OHIO AT A GLANCE
FAQ
Can I get a medical marijuana card online in Cleveland?
Yes. Ohio law allows the physician exam by telehealth, so you may not need to visit an office, though the physician can still ask to see you in person. The entire process from physician evaluation, state registry application, and card activation can be completed online. Once your physician submits your recommendation to the Ohio patient registry, you open its email, review your profile, accept the legal statement and activate your card. Your digital card is ready in the registry once you finish activation.
What conditions qualify for a medical marijuana card in Ohio?
Ohio recognizes 26 qualifying conditions under the Medical Marijuana Control Program. These include chronic and severe or intractable pain, PTSD, cancer, epilepsy, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, glaucoma, traumatic brain injury, Tourette syndrome, Crohn’s disease, inflammatory bowel disease, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, sickle cell anemia, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease, and others. The State Medical Board of Ohio counts arthritis, chronic migraines, complex regional pain syndrome, degenerative disc disease and lupus where pain is present under its chronic or intractable pain condition. During your evaluation, the physician will review your medical history and decide whether your diagnosis qualifies.
How long does it take to get approved for a medical marijuana card in Ohio?
Activation is up to you once the physician enters your recommendation: the registry emails you a link, and the registration must be complete within 90 days or it goes stale. Caregiver registrations can take up to seven business days for the DCC’s database check. You can begin purchasing at any licensed Ohio dispensary as soon as your card is active.
Can I use my Ohio medical marijuana card outside of Cleveland?
Your Ohio medical marijuana card is valid statewide. You can purchase cannabis at any state-licensed dispensary in Ohio regardless of which city you live in or where you were evaluated. Ohio does not restrict card use by region. However, Ohio patient protections apply only in Ohio, and the Division of Cannabis Control says federal and state law prohibit traveling across state lines with cannabis. If you travel out of state, the state you visit decides whether it accepts an Ohio card, so check its rules first.
How long is an Ohio medical marijuana card valid?
Your card is valid for one year from the date of issuance. Ohio requires at least one in-person or telehealth visit a year with a physician who holds a Certificate to Recommend. Each recommendation lasts up to 90 days and can be renewed three times, and a new registration must be completed within 90 days of the recommendation date.
OTHER OHIO CITY GUIDES
