The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy has called for public feedback on “form and method” rules for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.
The forms that medical cannabis will be allowed in Iowa under the proposed rules:
- Oil, tincture, capsule, tablet or edible form
- Metered oil or solid preparation for vaping
- Transdermal patches
- Plant material for use with vaporizing devices.
There’s a special focus in the rules on ensuring children aren’t particularly attracted to the medicines. In addition to being packed in child-resistant containers, products won’t be able to represent cartoon or other fictional characters with a target audience of children, nor any pop culture figures.
Products also won’t be able to bear a “reasonable” resemblance to candy, fruits, animals or human characters; nor any object that would appeal to kids.
While these rules might dampen creativity somewhat, the important thing note about medical marijuana is that, well, it’s a medicine – and for it to be more fully accepted, it needs to be presented as such.
Medicine doesn’t need to be cool, hip, trendy or “fun”. It’s meant to heal or manage a condition – that’s it.
With regard to vaping, flavours will be limited to either menthol or flavors intended to mimic marijuana strains. Again, it’s about the children – and vaping cannabis won’t be authorized for registered patients under the age of eighteen. Whether this age restriction on vaping is justified will no doubt be hotly debated.
Other proposed rules include patients and caregivers limited to purchasing no than six ounces of tier I (THC content of twenty-three percent or less) or four ounces of tier II medical marijuana (23%+ – 35% THC) within a ninety day period.
The full proposed “form and method” rules can be viewed here (PDF). The public comment period closes on March 10.
The Board is one of three state agencies responsible for developing, implementing and supervising the state’s program.
There’s certainly strong support for medicinal marijuana among Iowa residents. As we reported last week, eighty percent of Iowans recently surveyed indicated they backed legalising cannabis for medicinal purposes.
