Ohio Announces First 37 Physicians Approved to Recommend Medical Marijuana Treatment

The delays, hiccups and lingering concerns about the implementation and effects of Ohio's impending medical marijuana have long included questions of how many doctors will seek certification to recommend treatment and if the resulting number will be sufficient to cater to patient demand, which could hit 200,000 people.

Early polling showed fewer than three in 10 Buckeye state doctors were interested in obtaining the proper licensure, for instance, and assorted comments from physicians during the state's licensing draft process included such rebukes as:

"I will not be whoring out my medical license to recommend pot."

"I am not going to prescribe this no matter what the rules are."

"I know two people who developed schizophrenia after taking marijuana. I am unwilling to risk that."

"I really don't want any further pain management patients in my practice."

"I worry that we do not have enough data on the safest prescribing practices for medical marijuana."

So, there's that, but there's also been an uptick in physicians who are actively seeking education on the matter and patients being more forthcoming with their doctors about their marijuana use.

Since the state approved starting a medical marijuana program, Dr. Cleanne Cass, who is a Dayton area hospice and palliative care physician, said her patients have been less likely to try to hide that they’ve been using marijuana to help with their symptoms.

“Since the state referendum, patients are more open to telling me that they are using marijuana,” Dr. Cleanne Cass, an Ohio hospice and palliative care physician, told the Dayton Daily News, adding she planned on attending as many conferences as she could to learn about the treatment.

Things began rolling this week as the Ohio medical board announced the first 37 physicians approved to recommend medical marijuana for some 21 disorders qualified under the state law, which is set to take effect Sept. 8, 2018. Another batch will be approved and announced next month. The 37 so far:

David Zainey, MD, Springfiled
Charles Barrett, DO, Chagrin Falls
Alok Bhaiji, MD, Middleburg Heights
Robert Keating, MD, Cleveland
Hyo Kim, MD, Orange
Janet Levatin, MD, Middleburg Heights
Noah Miller, MD, Beachwood
Daniel Neides, MD, Beachwood
Cynthia Taylor, DO, Strongsville
Monique Turner-Robinson, MD, Beachwood
Mark Woyshville, MD, Middleburg Heights
Solomon Zaraa, DO, Cleveland
Sarah Blake, MD, Columbus
Daniel Jones, MD, Columbus
Bernard Master, DO, Worthington
Thomas McCartney, DO, New Albany
Julianne Moy, DO, Columbus
Michael Saribalas, DO, Columbus
Azam Shah, DO, New Albany
Joel Simmons, MD, Columbus
Maria Soto, DO, Columbus
Jennifer Lobert, MD, Blue Ash
Michael Maloney, MD, Cincinnati
Allison Phelps, MD, Cincinnati
William Sawyer, MD, Cincinnati
Christopher South, MD, Cincinnati
Corie Kovach, MD, Sheffield
Ryan Lakin, MD, Toledo
Rajendra Koirala, MD, Canfield
Mark Neumann, DO, Lambertville
Michael Hamilton, MD, Englewood
Jeffrey Haggenjos, DO, New Lexington
James Wolfe, MD, Mansfield
Jeffrey Hill, MD, Chillicothe
Karin Cseak, DO, Cuyahoga Falls
Stephen Mooney, MD, Akron
Adel Zaraa, MD, Akron