CLEVELAND — Earlier this week, the Ohio State Medical Board appealed to have autism added to the list of approved medical conditions that can be treated with medical cannabis in Ohio, according to the Ohio Medical Cannabis Industry Association.
Dem. State Representative Juanita Brent has been working on House Bill 60 for years now, as this will be the third time introducing the proposition to the floor.
HB 60, which was originally introduced in 2019, has slowly watched it gain traction over the years in the state legislature.
The measure was approved by the House in the last session, but stalled in the Senate, which also passed its own version of the bill.
Since a new general assembly has now convened, the bill must be reintroduced and voted on again in the House.
If approved, it would make its way to the Senate.
Rep. Brent tells News 5 she decided to sponsor the bill, which has bipartisan support, after hearing from parents desperately hoping for another legal option for treating their children who experience autism.
“We have taken too much time and we are losing families. Literally people I know who are emailing me, saying they are leaving Ohio for other states. You can go to Michigan. You can go to Pennsylvania. You can go to Illinois. You don’t have to go far," said Brent. "They’re going to the states right next door to us to be able to have another option between a patient and their doctor, particularly their children.”
The OSMB gave a statement in response to why it has been rejected so many times:
The Board has yet to review substantial scientific evidence that supports and justifies the treatment of autism with medical marijuana over conventional treatment.
If you are a family dealing with autism and are interested in being able to use cannabis as a treatment for your loved one, we’d love to hear from you. Email us at tips@wews.com with your story.
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