Ohio Marijuana Laws
Is Medical Marijuana Legal in Ohio?
Yes. Medical marijuana is legal for qualifying patients, and since Issue 2 adults 21 and over may use adult-use marijuana too. In 2016, Ohio lawmakers passed House Bill 523, creating the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, which allows qualified patients to obtain and use medical marijuana with a recommendation from a physician who holds a Certificate to Recommend.
Is Marijuana Decriminalized?
Yes, and for adults it is now legal.
Under Issue 2, approved by voters on November 7, 2023, adults 21 and over may possess up to 2.5 ounces of plant material and 15 grams of extract, a limit SB 56 kept in ORC 3796.221.
Possession beyond those limits falls under ORC 2925.11: less than 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) is a minor misdemeanor with a fine of up to $150. Larger amounts bring misdemeanor or felony charges. Adult-use marijuana is off limits to anyone under 21.
How Much Medical Cannabis Am I Allowed To Buy And Possess In Ohio?
In Ohio, medical marijuana patients are allowed to purchase and possess up to a 90-day supply of medical cannabis, as recommended by their physician. The DCC replaced the old whole-day units with one daily purchase limit for every patient, and a physician can set a lower limit for you.
According to the Division of Cannabis Control, the medical limits are:
- 2.5 ounces of plant material per day, or up to four days’ worth in one purchase
- 15,000 mg of total THC per day in oils, edibles, tinctures and other products
- A 90-day supply at home, capped at 14.06 pounds of plant material or 1,350 grams of THC
Patients may not hold more than their recommended 90-day supply. They also may not sell, share or give away medical cannabis, even for free.
Can I Grow My Own Cannabis If I Am A Registered Patient?
Yes, if you are 21 or older, home cultivation is legal in Ohio. Under ORC 3796.04, each adult may grow up to six plants, with no more than twelve per home, in a secured, enclosed area hidden from public view and closed to anyone under 21. Medical patients under 21 may not grow, and a lease can ban home grow.
Does Ohio Allow Medical Cannabis Reciprocity?
Only under a reciprocity agreement that the DCC signs with another state (ORC 3796.16). Without one, only patients registered with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program may buy medical cannabis in Ohio, though visitors 21 and over may buy adult-use cannabis.
Who Qualifies For Medical Marijuana In Ohio?
In Ohio, patients must have a qualifying medical condition to be eligible for medical marijuana, and patients under 18 also need a caregiver. Ohio law lists these qualifying conditions:
- AIDS
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Cancer
- Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)
- Crohn’s disease
- Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Hepatitis C
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Pain that is chronic and severe or intractable
- Parkinson’s disease
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Sickle cell anemia
- Spinal cord disease or injury
- Tourette’s syndrome
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Ulcerative colitis
The statute also lists positive HIV status, and the State Medical Board has added cachexia, Huntington’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, spasticity and terminal illness, for 26 in all. A physician cannot add a condition; the Board adds them through its yearly petition process.
To qualify for medical marijuana in Ohio, patients must obtain a recommendation from a physician who holds a Certificate to Recommend (CTR) from the State Medical Board of Ohio. The physician must confirm that the patient has a qualifying medical condition and that medical marijuana is an appropriate treatment option.
Can Patients Under 18 Qualify For Medical Cannabis?
Yes. Patients under the age of 18 are required to have a parent or legal guardian act as their caregiver, and both the patient and caregiver must be registered with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.
To be eligible for medical cannabis in Ohio, a patient under the age of 18 must have a qualifying medical condition and must have obtained a recommendation from a medical marijuana doctor who holds a CTR. The physician must first get the parent’s or guardian’s consent, then registers that parent or guardian as the caregiver.
Before a caregiver can buy for a patient, the DCC checks seven databases, which can take up to seven business days. Caregivers buy and give medical cannabis on the patient’s behalf, since patients under 18 may not buy, and medical cannabis must stay in its original labeled dispensary package until it is used.
Driving with Cannabis
You may not drive while under the influence of marijuana, and an Ohio card gives no protection for that. A card alone is not grounds for a field sobriety test, though.
Registered patients may carry medical cannabis in a car only in its original unopened package or, once opened, in the trunk or behind the last upright seat (ORC 3796.062). Patients must also carry their registry card whenever they have medical cannabis.
Federal and Ohio law both bar taking cannabis across state lines, the DCC warns, so cannabis bought in another state may not be brought into Ohio.
What Products Are Legal In Ohio?
Forms of medical marijuana allowed in Ohio:
- Tinctures
- Oils
- Edibles
- Plant material
- Creams
- Patches
- Lotions
Methods of use not allowed for medical marijuana in Ohio:
- Smoking or burning of any kind
- Vaping by patients under 18
- Vaping anywhere other than a private home or farm
Can I Give Cannabis As A Gift In Ohio?
Medical marijuana: no. Ohio rules bar patients and caregivers from transferring medical cannabis to anyone, with or without payment. Adult-use marijuana: yes, within limits. An adult 21 or older may give adult-use or homegrown marijuana to another adult 21 or older when:
- No payment of any kind is involved
- It is no more than 2.5 ounces of plant material to that adult in one day
- It is no more than 15 grams of extract to that adult in one day
- It happens on private property used mainly as a home or farm
Gifts that break Ohio law:
- Any gift of marijuana to a person under 21
- Any gift tied to a sale or other payment
Where Can I Buy Medicinal Cannabis In Ohio?
Registered patients buy medical marijuana only at DCC-licensed dispensaries, and all 231 on the DCC list in October 2026 also sell to adult-use buyers.
Where Can I Use My Products?
Medical cannabis may be vaped only on private residential or agricultural property, and never smoked. Smoking or vaping any marijuana in a public place is a minor misdemeanor.
Can I Be Fired For Being A Medical Marijuana Patient?
Yes. Ohio’s medical marijuana law does not provide explicit employment protections for medical marijuana patients, and employers in Ohio have the right to establish their own drug-free workplace policies. This means that an employer can choose to take action against an employee who tests positive for cannabis, even if the employee is a registered medical marijuana patient and used cannabis for medical purposes outside of work.
Do I Have To Tell My Landlord I Am A Medical Cannabis Patient?
Ohio’s cannabis law, Revised Code chapter 3796, does not require you to tell your landlord that you are a registered medical marijuana patient. However, if you intend to use medical marijuana on the property, it is recommended that you review your lease agreement and speak with your landlord to ensure that there are no restrictions on medical marijuana use or possession.
Ohio law bars a landlord from rejecting you solely or mainly because you are a registered patient, unless federal law requires it, but a lease may ban smoking, vaping or home grow (ORC 3796.24).
Are Caregivers Allowed Under Ohio Marijuana Program?
Yes, Ohio’s medical marijuana program allows registered patients to have a caregiver. Caregivers can help patients with tasks such as purchasing, preparing, and administering medical marijuana.
A caregiver must be at least 21 years of age and must be registered with the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program. A patient may have up to two caregivers, and a caregiver may serve up to two patients, unless the DCC approves more.
Caregivers, unlike patients, pass a DCC check of seven databases, and the recommending physician submits their registration; a patient’s own physician may not be the caregiver.
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