The state of Ohio approved a comprehensive medical cannabis program in 2016, and sales officially began in January of 2019. The move was groundbreaking at the time, and Ohio officially became the 25th state to adopt such a program. 

However, since that point, the cost of medical cannabis hasn’t changed significantly. The prices continue to be higher than the national average, and this has proven to be a serious point of discontentment from patients participating in the program, according to the results of a new survey from the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center at Ohio State University. 

Methodology and Results 

Researchers conducted a series of surveys between April and June of 2021 on patients who were actively participating in the state medical cannabis program. Of the 1,326 respondents, 95.4% reported using cannabis to treat a qualifying condition. Of these, the two most common related to anxiety and depression. The other four percent did not report using cannabis for condition-related treatments. 

This meant the overwhelming majority of patients were using the cannabis to help with one of the 25 state-recognized medical conditions. 

But when asked to rate their levels of satisfaction with the Ohio medical program, more than half of respondents reported being dissatisfied. Specifically, 55.1% of the respondents reported some level of dissatisfaction. Among them, 25.4%  reportied feeling “extremely dissatisfied” and 29.7% reported feeling “somewhat dissatisfied.” 

Among the possible reasons for this dissatisfaction, the high price of cannabis in dispensaries was the most commonly-cited reason. Some patients even opted out of the program due to the costs. 

The price of cannabis in Ohio continues to be considerably higher than in the bordering state of Michigan. During the first six months of 2021, cannabis flower in Ohio cost an average of $3.28 more per gram than flower in Michigan, according to the report. 

Additionally, despite steady growth in sales and a growing number of patients, the number of Ohio physicians with a Certificate to Recommend has actually decreased over the last 12 months. These certificates allow patients to begin using the medical cannabis program. 

Takeaways 

Ohio is currently second to last in the country among states with medical cannabis programs when it comes to the number of physicians per 100,000 residents able to recommend medical cannabis. This bottleneck effect may make it more difficult for new users to register with the program. This potentially further stalls the overall growth that would in turn help drive costs down. 

Overall this research is an important step towards identifying flaws in the cannabis program. Many of these flaws only emerged over the past three years of operation. 

Lawmakers continue to work to improve the system. However, the satisfaction of current participants will go a long way towards shaping the direction of the program moving forward. 

Make sure to check back for more cannabis, hemp, and psychedelic related news.