New Ohio Bill Aims To Help Autistic Individuals Gain Access To Medical Marijuana

A recent bill was just passed by Ohio lawmakers that shine a needed light on how autistic individuals, including children, should have access to medical marijuana. On Wednesday, the bill passed in the state House and is sponsored by one Democrat and one Republican. 

According to sources, the bill passed by a whopping 73-13 vote count, making it quite obvious that the issue was in dire need of attention. The bill is currently on its way to the state Senate for the final decision. 

Time and again, Ohio lawmakers have made many efforts to help add autism to the list of eligible conditions for medical marijuana. In fact, according to High Times, the Ohio State Medical Board declined a petition back in 2020, which explained how autistic individuals could immensely benefit from the plant’s many healing powers. 

There were back and forth opinions on whether the bill should be passed. Ohio Children’s Hospital Association spokeswoman Sarah Kincaid explained her disapproval of offering medical cannabis to children with autism. She said the bill “has the potential to negatively impact the health and well-being of thousands of children in Ohio.”

But would it really? High Times reports Carrie Taylor, mother of two autistic sons, saying it’s about time Ohio adds autism to the list of eligible conditions. “Our voice is not being heard right now,” Taylor said, adding that “doctors have this thought in their mind, and they’re obviously set in stone where they stand.”

Parents like Taylor attest that “We’re not trying to give [children] something that’s not legalized with other medical purposes.”

One of the bill’s co-sponsors, Juanita Brent, said the measure would “ensure legal access to a plant-based solution free from costly prescription medications or other outdated and sometimes harmful treatments.” She also explained that if the legislature “does not address the public outcry for change, I know it will be brought to the ballot box.”

If the state Senate decides to enact the bill into law, it would make Ohio the 18th state to permit autistic individuals accessing medical marijuana. As per the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program, the following conditions are currently eligible for medical marijuana; 

• AIDS
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Cachexia
• Cancer
• Chronic traumatic encephalopathy
• Crohn’s disease
• Epilepsy or another seizure disorder
• Fibromyalgia
• Glaucoma
• Hepatitis C
• Huntington’s disease
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pain that is either chronic and severe or intractable
• Parkinson’s disease
• Positive status for HIV
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Sickle cell anemia
• Spasticity
• Spinal cord disease or injury
• Terminal illness
• Tourette syndrome
• Traumatic brain injury
• Ulcerative colitis