Ohio Patient Network has once again submitted a formal petition to the Ohio Medical Board to add Opioid Use Disorder (AKA Opiate Addiction) to the list of conditions where Medical Marijuana may be recommended by an Ohio Certified Physician.  The biggest impact should be on patients using a pain clinic.  

 

Currently, Pain Clinics force patients to sign a “Pain Contract” that threatens termination of treatment for using Schedule one drugs such as black-market marijuana.  Note all Ohio authorized Medical Marijuana products are schedule II per HB523 and this should not be a concern to pain clinic doctors.  Unfortunately, they are either unaware or do not care and still threaten patients with treatment termination.  

 

There are enough studies and data (which have been provided to the Medical Board) that strongly indicate a large number of patients can either reduce or replace using opioids with cannabis.  This would be a very positive step in limiting the Opioid Overdose issue Ohio currently faces and help people live a more positive life.

 

We ask Ohio patients to talk to their Physicians and have them contact the Medical Board and approve the petition to add Opioid Use Disorder (AKA Opiate Addiction) to the list of conditions for the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program.

Ohio Patient Network has submitted a petition as passed by Ohio's Medical Marijuana law HB523 and as defined by the Ohio Medical Board (OMB) rules to add a qualifying condition. The rules laid out 5 requirements to be submitted; they are as follows..

 

1. Information from experts who specialize in the disease or condition
2. Relevant medical or scientific evidence pertaining to the disease or condition
3. Consideration of whether conventional medical therapies are insufficient to treat or alleviate the disease or condition
4. Evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana to treat or alleviate the disease or condition, including journal articles, peer-reviewed studies, and other types of medical or scientific documentation
5. Letters of support provided by physicians with knowledge of the disease or condition.

We addressed each requirement in exacting detail and share them with you below.

Information from experts who specialize in the disease or condition
Opioid Use Disorder/Opioid Addiction is the physical and psychological reliance on opioids found in prescription pain medications and illegal drugs like heroin and fentanyl derivatives. Addiction occurs when dependence interferes with daily life. Symptoms include uncontrollable cravings and inability to control opioid use. People may experience whole body craving, sweating, euphoria or general angst. Some common effects are constipation, nausea, and death due to overdose. See complete response at http://www.ohiopatientsnetwork.org/Data/Petition/Section1.pdf

Relevant medical or scientific evidence pertaining to the disease or condition
Included in the attached Section 2 PDF file is a variety of government reports detailing the relevant medical evidence of Opioid Use Disorder with reference links to the original reports. The documents address the scope and the science of addiction, including a commentary by Nora D. Volkow, M.D., Director, NIDA and more. The attachment also includes the most recent report from the National Center for Health Statistics listing Ohio as the second-highest in the nation for overdose. See complete response at http://www.ohiopatientsnetwork.org/Data/Petition/Section2.pdf

Consideration of whether conventional medical therapies are insufficient to treat or alleviate the disease or condition
Opioid Use Disorder is a complex condition that is not easily treated successfully. The patient usually has other associated mental and/or physical issues. According to NIDA the relapse rate for patients going through drug addiction treatment ranges from 40% to 60%. Twelve Step Facilitation programs have mixed success and are not well documented. The indisputable fact that we have such a tremendous number of overdose deaths indicates that conventional medical therapies are insufficient. See complete response at http://www.ohiopatientsnetwork.org/Data/Petition/Section3.pdf

Evidence supporting the use of medical marijuana to treat or alleviate the disease or condition, including journal articles, peer-reviewed studies, and other types of medical or scientific documentation.
In New York and Illinois, doctors can recommend medical marijuana for conditions where they prescribe an opioid. Pennsylvania & New Jersey permit patients to use medical marijuana for Opioid Use Disorder. These studies show a significant reduction in opioid prescriptions in states with marijuana states vs non-marijuana states.  Included are newer studies done in 2019 that continue to show a significant reduction in opioid prescriptions in states with marijuana states vs non-marijuana states. Also included is a rebuttal of a study that undermined the numerous other studies' positive impact of Medical Marijuana on Opioid Use Disorder. You can also find reports that link medical marijuana to a reduction in the risk of opioid overdose and increased treatment retention. See complete response at http://www.ohiopatientsnetwork.org/Data/Petition/Section4.pdf

Letters of support provided by physicians with knowledge of the disease or condition.
Included in this section are PDF copies of physicians’ letters supporting adding Opioid Use Disorder/Opiate Addiction as a qualifying condition as well as a reference to 22 other Physicians. One is from Dr. Ethan Russo, a neurologist with drug development experiences and leadership positions in international research medical organizations. Dr. Blatman is an Ohio based pain practitioner and Dr. Sawyer is certified in Suboxone therapy. Dr. Kollman was co-author of the American Legion National 2017 Resolution that changed the policy towards medical marijuana in Veterans Administration Medical Facilities. Also included are three more Ohio Licensed physicians. All the physicians’ medical licenses have been independently verified and clear of any blemishes or negative reports. See Complete response at http://www.ohiopatientsnetwork.org/Data/Petition/Section5.pdf