Ohio Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Permitted to Offer Curbside Pickup

The Ohio Board of Pharmacy issued guidance April 3 that allows the state’s medical cannabis dispensaries to offer curbside pickup to their customers during the COVID-19 crisis.

Under the new rules, retailers can conduct medical cannabis sales in their parking lots or on the sidewalks outside of their stores, so patients do not have to enter the dispensary or even leave their cars. Dispensaries can also offer sales at walk-up or drive-thru windows, but all transactions must occur on the dispensary’s property and must be under the coverage of the dispensary’s security cameras, according to the guidance.

Delivery is still prohibited under the new rules.

Last month, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy issued additional guidance to help the state’s patients maintain access to medical cannabis during the COVID-19 outbreak, including a temporary expansion of caregiver registration, new photo identification requirements, and rules that allow patients and caregivers to place phone orders with dispensaries.

Up until the April 3 rule change, however, all patients still had to enter a dispensary to pay for and pick up their medical cannabis products.