What the merger means for patients
Purchase and possession limits for patients now run far above adult-use allowances — up to 2.5 oz of plant material plus 15,000 mg THC in other product forms per day-supply math, with purchases batched up to 4 days at once. Patients keep the 10% excise-tax exemption (recreational buyers pay it), get dispensary priority, and — new under SB 56 — home delivery available to medical patients only. The state registration fee remains one cent; the real cost of staying registered is the annual physician recertification.
Telehealth certification and renewal both continue, the condition list is unchanged, and existing registrations carried over automatically. The practical math: any Ohio patient buying more than trivially saves the card cost back in tax exemption alone — see the medical-vs-recreational analysis on our Ohio page.
Why this matters beyond Ohio
Ohio's merger is the template question every dual-market state faces: fold medical into recreational and let it atrophy, or maintain meaningful patient advantages. Ohio chose advantages — a contrast with states where medical programs hollowed out after adult-use arrived. For patients in newer adult-use states wondering whether to keep certifying, Ohio is the case study in reading your own state's incentives.
The information on this site is for educational purposes only and is not medical or legal advice. Cannabis use carries risks; consult a licensed physician about whether medical cannabis is appropriate for you. Federal status (as of June 2026): marijuana dispensed under state medical licenses and FDA-approved cannabis products are Schedule III controlled substances; all other marijuana remains Schedule I under U.S. federal law. Laws cited here change; confirm current rules with the linked primary sources before acting on them.