Early adopters step forward
See the list
The Ohio State Medical Board on Wednesday will give 35 physicians the authority to recommend medical marijuana to patients in Ohio.
These doctors are the first to be approved in Ohio’s long-awaited medical marijuana program, which starts September 8th.
The early adopters are an interesting mix of family practitioners, psychiatrists, oncologists and specialists in holistic medicine. Twenty-five are men, ten are women. Twenty-five are allopaths (M.D.), ten are osteopaths (D.O.).
“We’re grateful to these doctors for stepping forward,” said Harm Reduction Ohio President Dennis Cauchon. “It’s been a long slog to get this program going, but the medical community’s indifference and sometimes hostility to medicinal cannabis is starting to fade away.”
After the program starts in Ohio, medical marijuana can be used with a doctor’s recommendation for 21 conditions.  To recommend marijuana, doctors must take a two-hour course and apply for a Certificate to Recommend.
The Medical Board is scheduled to officially grant marijuana recommending authority to the 35 physicians Wednesday. The board has already added this approval to the doctor’s medical license, and it provided Harm Reduction Ohio a list of doctor’s slated for approval.
Meet your early-adopter docs
Ohio Most Interesting Medical Marijuana Doctor: Bernie Master
The oldest doctor to be approved is a man who should be named Ohio’s Most Interesting Man: physician-conservationist Bernard Master, a 76-year-old osteopath from Worthington and one of the world’s most legendary birders. (See his Wikipedia entry.)
Janet Levatin
Holistic medicine doctors are well-represented in the first round of approvals. These docs include Janet Levatin of Middleburg Heights, Karin Cseak of Cuyahoga Falls and Daniel Neides of Beachwood. (Neides lost his job at the Cleveland Clinic’s Wellness Institute last year for expressing skepticism about vaccine safety.)
Most doctors have more conventional medicine practices.
Jeffrey C. Hill of Chillicothe is the county health commissioner and medical director in Ross County. He specializes in occupational health.
Psychiatrists Solomon Zaraa and Noah Miller are making cannabis central to their medical practice. Zaraa and Miller have started Compassionate Cleveland, a medical marijuana specialty practice.
Harm Reduction Ohio thanks all these doctors for taking the extra step to get authority to recommend medical marijuana. Other admirable early adopters include:
Monique Turner-Robinson
Family medicine
Beachwood, Ohio
Noah Miller
Psychiatrist
Cleveland
Joel Simmons
Radiation oncologist
Columbus
Corie Kovach
Obstetrician
Sheffield Village, Ohio (near Cleveland)
Jeffrey Hill
Ross County Health Commissioner/Medical Director
Chillicothe
Mark Neumann
Anti-aging doctor
Lambertville, Michigan
NICE TO SEE IT IS FINALLY HAPPENING, MUCH NEEDED AT THIS TIME OF MY LIFE, I KNOW IT WORKS, TIME HAS COME
Mine to ive suffered so long doctors cant seem to help thank God for this wonderful plant he said anything with seed was put here for our good
Funny. Metrohealth said no medical when I worked there…I resigned because of that policy.
The Cleveland Clinic has the same policy regarding medical marijuana. A no go. My primary doctor said the Cleveland Clinic will never approve of medical marijuana. So, what is up with Metro Health now permitting a doctor to have a medical marijuana license? Setting a precedent at Metro. If so, I may switch from the Clinic. It’s a complicated matter. I will warn people about switching doctors. Just because… there are only 35 or so doctors in Ohio. Something is just not right. For instance, I recently read a few articles regarding medical marijuana patients that also need an organ transplant and were refused because they were on med marijuana. So, one may be locked out of medical care because they are registered med marijuana patients?
I have been waiting for “legal” relief from the stiffness and pain in both my feet and ankles after lower back surgery in 2008. I have been in agonizing pain and see the pain management doctors with the diagnosis of peripheral neuropathy where I have been taking various “legal prescription drugs” that are not giving me much of a quality of life. With the man made medicines the long term physical effects are uncertain that cause damage to my kidneys and liver and who knows what else side effects. From what I see is that there are many people who are getting the relief that they need with CBD, and or medical marijuana. Let’s end prohibition now!
Thank you all for making it happen
It’s about time. Now if we can just get the Federal scheduling changed, then so many more people will benefit from this awesome medicine.
we are honored to have you, now all we need is a few hundred more like you… thank you
I suffer from Fibromyalgia and Osteoarthritis among several other diseases,there is no real treatment for Fibromyalgia pain. Some people have good luck with Lyrica and medications to treat Mental health/pain, I however am not one of the lucky who get relief. I have been waiting a very long time for Medical Marijuana as it is proven to relieve so many types of pain. It’s about time.
Velvet, please keep me updated. I too have similar conditions been calling a few doctor listed here
I cant wait to not struggle wuth my autism and ptsd as much as i do knowing i can treat it with something that not just works but is natural. Thank u so much and bless all for making this happen.
I suffer from peripheral vascular disease, severe neuropathy, narrowing of spine and degerantive disks, and osteoporosis! I am in excurciating pain every day ! ! I pray for relief as I can barely walk!
I am been waiting long time from pain,suffering. From Rheumatoid arthritis and peripheral artery disease. I can’t stand it much more. O.S.U. Doctor cut my opioid meds 15 mg 150 pill’s a month. New pain management down too 7.5 percocet 325 acetaminophen 90 pill’s a month justcan’t stand much more hurting someone help me get pain relief before I give up please God.
As somebody who is considered too young for most of her health issues this is great news to those who need it most. PTSD & chronic pain are life Destroyers. Thank you to the Dr’s who stepped up despite others.
Having chronic pain…ptsd…anxiety…too many diagnoses to list… getting relief will be life changing…almost tearing up as I’m writing this…I currently only take ibuprofen.. tylenol…Thank You to the doctors.. and everyone involved in making this a choice.
I have stage 4 breast cancer….this would be great!!
I suffer from osteoporosis and have had 19 spinal fractures along with breast cancer. I have managed my pain with Tylenol and marijuana (in hiding). It’s about time
StopTheLies,
LetTheHealingBegin.
Evidence of efficacy accumulates despite federal obstruction by means of schedule one classification.
Drs, you are heroes!
Enough with the lies, let the healing begin!
So relieved this will be an option for pain relief- would love more info such as, how they decide what and how much to prescribe and where you fill the script
At the closest, local licensed dispensary of your choice.
So why are some major cities left out? Dayton, i guess we have to suffer, oh thats what the system wants.
I believe that those that register are marked and at risk for losing health care, jobs, food card benifits,SSI and public housing and considering that it is not a federal recognised law and those are federally funded program’s. Plus can you force a landlord that dose not agree, to go against federial law? I feel the repercussions are not known nor laws defined enough to out weigh the risk.
It’s about time! ….. There are some less than scrupulous doctors out there where you can get an “affirmative defense” card in Ohio for only $800 for the first year. That includes $300 one-time certification fee along with $125 every 90 days. With that comes a card to show the judge in case you get busted (NOT a state issued certification card) saying that you meet the parameters for medical THC. ……… When OHIO’S program comes into effect, the cost will be only $50 per year for an OHIO STATE MMJ card. Now, I’m as pro capitalism as the next person, but charging ONE THOUSAND AND FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT “1500% IS JUST PLAIN OLD GREED. Funny thing is that that same coalition of Doctors will be doing the certifications for $50 per year Starting in September …….. Caveat emptor
I believe you may be mistaken… $50 fee solely goes to the State of Ohio annually for the medical MJ card. But getting a medical MJ card will still require an initial physician certification and yearly follow up physician visits for renewal. Physicians are still going to charge for their time, which will remain out-of-pocket until insurance companies decide to cover medical MJ consultations.
Yes I agree it is time for change! We need a natural alternative to the chemical medicine’s that we are all hooked on for pain, anxiety, depression, the lists go on and on and this can help!