(A) As used in this section and sections 4731.301 and 4731.302 of the Revised Code, "medical marijuana." "drug database." "physician." and "qualifying medical condition" have the same meanings as in section 3796.01 of the Revised Code.

(B)

(1) Except as provided in division (B)(4) of this section, a physician seeking to recommend treatment with medical marijuana shall apply to the state medical board for a certificate to recommend. An application shall be submitted in the manner established in rules adopted under section 4731.301 of the Revised Code.

(2) The board shall grant a certificate to recommend if both of the following conditions are met:

(a) The application is complete and meets the requirements established in rules.

(b) The applicant demonstrates that the applicant does not have an ownership or investment interest in or compensation arrangement with an entity licensed under Chapter 3796. of the Revised Code or an applicant for licensure.

(3) A certificate to recommend expires according to the renewal schedule established in rules adopted under section 4731.301 of the Revised Code and may be renewed in accordance with the procedures established in those rules.

(4) This section does not apply to a physician who recommends treatment with marijuana or a drug derived from marijuana under any of the following that is approved by an investigational review board or equivalent entity, the United States food and drug administration, or the national institutes of health or one of its cooperative groups or centers under the United States department of health and human services:

(a) A research protocol;

(b) A clinical trial;

(c) An investigational new drug application;

(d) An expanded access submission.

(C)

(1) A physician who holds a certificate to recommend may recommend that a patient be treated with medical marijuana if all of the following conditions are met:

(a) The patient has been diagnosed with a qualifying medical condition;

(b) A bona fide physician-patient relationship has been established through all of the following:

(i) An in-person physical examination of the patient by the physician;

(ii) A review of the patient's medical history by the physician;

(iii) An expectation of providing care and receiving care on an ongoing basis.

(c) The physician has requested, or a physician delegate approved by the state board of pharmacy has requested, from the drug database a report of information related to the patient that covers at least the twelve months immediately preceding the date of the report, and the physician has reviewed the report.

(2) In the case of a patient who is a minor, the physician may recommend treatment with medical marijuana only after obtaining the consent of the patient's parent or other person responsible for providing consent to treatment.

(D)

(1) When issuing a written recommendation to a patient, the physician shall specify any information required in rules adopted by the board under section 4731.301 of the Revised Code.

(2) A written recommendation issued to a patient under this section is valid for a period of not more than ninety days. The physician may renew the recommendation for not more than three additional periods of not more than ninety days each. Thereafter, the physician may issue another recommendation to the patient only upon a physical examination of the patient.

(E) Annually, the physician shall submit to the state medical board a report that describes the physician's observations regarding the effectiveness of medical marijuana in treating the physician's patients during the year covered by the report. When submitting reports, a physician shall not include any information that identifies or would tend to identify any specific patient.

(F) Each physician who holds a certificate to recommend shall complete annually at least two hours of continuing medical education in medical marijuana approved by the state medical board.

(G) A physician shall not do any of the following:

(1) Personally furnish or otherwise dispense medical marijuana;

(2) Issue a recommendation for a family member or the physician's self.

(H) A physician is immune from civil liability, is not subject to professional disciplinary action by the state medical board or state board of pharmacy, and is not subject to criminal prosecution for any of the following actions:

(1) Advising a patient, patient representative, or caregiver about the benefits and risks of medical marijuana to treat a qualifying medical condition:

(2) Recommending that a patient use medical marijuana to treat or alleviate the condition:

(3) Monitoring a patient's treatment with medical marijuana.

Added by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 523, §1, eff. 9/8/2016.