Ohio Medical Marijuana Qualifying Conditions — Full List

Ohio’s medical marijuana program recognizes a specific list of qualifying conditions under Ohio Revised Code Section 3796.01. To be eligible, you must have at least one of these conditions and receive a recommendation from a physician holding a Certificate to Recommend (CTR) issued by the State Medical Board of Ohio.

Select your condition below to find out exactly how it qualifies under Ohio law, what documentation you need for your evaluation, and how the online process works.

Qualifying Conditions

Chronic Pain (Chronic and Severe or Intractable)
The most commonly approved condition statewide. Covers a broad range of pain conditions — including back pain, arthritis, chronic migraines, CRPS, and degenerative disc disease — when pain is chronic and severe or has not responded to conventional treatment.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Explicitly listed as a standalone qualifying condition under Ohio law. Covers patients with a documented PTSD diagnosis — including Ohio veterans. Anxiety as a symptom of PTSD may also qualify through this category.

Fibromyalgia
Listed as its own standalone qualifying condition under Ohio law — separate from the chronic pain category. Patients with a confirmed fibromyalgia diagnosis qualify through this category directly.

Cancer
Any cancer type or stage qualifies — including active treatment, remission, and palliative care. Covers cancer-related pain, chemotherapy-induced nausea, appetite loss, and other treatment side effects.

Epilepsy and Seizure Disorders
Covers epilepsy and other seizure disorders broadly — including treatment-resistant epilepsy. CBD has FDA-level validation for specific epilepsy syndromes including Dravet syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.

Multiple Sclerosis
Recognized qualifying condition for MS patients experiencing spasticity, pain, bladder dysfunction, and other symptoms. Cannabinoids for MS spasticity have one of the strongest evidence bases of any neurological condition.

Crohn’s Disease
Explicitly listed as a standalone qualifying condition. Commonly pursued for abdominal pain, nausea, appetite, and sleep management in Crohn’s patients.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Covers both Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis under the IBD category. Note: IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) is now its own separate qualifying condition — see below.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Added as Ohio’s 26th standalone qualifying condition in July 2023. IBS patients now qualify through this category without needing to demonstrate chronic pain — distinct from the IBD qualifying pathway.

Glaucoma
Recognized qualifying condition. Cannabis has a documented IOP-lowering effect — though the effect is short-acting and major ophthalmic organizations do not recommend it as a primary glaucoma treatment. Review the research before pursuing an evaluation for this condition.

HIV/AIDS
Both HIV-positive status and AIDS diagnoses qualify. Commonly used for HIV-associated neuropathic pain, appetite loss, nausea, and wasting syndrome.

Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)
Standalone qualifying condition covering severe unintentional weight loss and muscle wasting associated with cancer, HIV/AIDS, heart failure, or other serious chronic illness. Dronabinol — a synthetic THC — has FDA approval for AIDS-associated wasting.

Alzheimer’s Disease
Recognized qualifying condition. Most relevant for managing behavioral symptoms including agitation, anxiety, and sleep disruption. Caregiver involvement in the evaluation is strongly encouraged for patients with cognitive limitations.

ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)
Recognized qualifying condition at any disease stage. Most commonly pursued for spasticity, pain, appetite, depression, and drooling. Delivery method considerations are important as disease progresses.

Parkinson’s Disease
Recognized qualifying condition. Evidence is more consistent for non-motor symptoms — sleep, pain, anxiety — than for motor symptoms like tremor. Patients with psychosis risk should discuss this with their neurologist before pursuing an evaluation.

Spinal Cord Disease or Injury
Covers both traumatic spinal cord injury and spinal cord disease — at any injury level and any time since injury. Most commonly pursued for spasticity, neuropathic pain, sleep, and mood.

Traumatic Brain Injury
Recognized qualifying condition at any TBI severity level. Most commonly pursued for headaches, sleep disruption, mood disturbance, and anxiety. Physician-supervised medical use differs meaningfully from recreational use in TBI patients.

Sickle Cell Anemia
Recognized qualifying condition. Research findings are mixed — some studies show fewer hospitalizations with cannabis use, others show increased crisis frequency. Consult your hematologist before pursuing an evaluation.

Hepatitis C
Recognized qualifying condition. Modern direct-acting antiviral therapy has transformed HCV treatment — patients should discuss DAA therapy with their physician as a first priority. Medical marijuana most relevant for managing HCV-related symptoms and treatment side effects.

Ulcerative Colitis
Recognized qualifying condition. Evidence supports symptom management — particularly abdominal pain, nausea, sleep, and anxiety — but does not support cannabis as a remission-inducing therapy for UC.

Tourette’s Syndrome
Recognized qualifying condition. Ohio specifically included Tourette’s based on THC research in TS patients. Evidence for tic reduction is modest — comorbid OCD and anxiety symptoms show more consistent improvement.

Huntington’s Disease
Recognized qualifying condition. Human clinical trial evidence is limited — the landmark CBD trial found no improvement in chorea. Behavioral symptoms including anxiety and irritability have the most consistent positive signal.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE)
Recognized qualifying condition. Important note: CTE can only be confirmed postmortem — living patients are evaluated based on clinical symptoms and head trauma history. Most relevant for headaches, sleep disruption, and mood disturbance.

Terminal Illness
Any terminal diagnosis qualifies — including terminal cancer, end-stage organ failure, and terminal neurological diseases. Evaluation focuses on quality of life and symptom management. Caregiver involvement is encouraged.

Spasticity
Listed as its own standalone qualifying condition — separate from MS and spinal cord injury. Patients with spasticity from any neurological cause — cerebral palsy, stroke, TBI, MS, SCI — may qualify through this category. Cannabinoids for spasticity have one of the strongest evidence bases in all of cannabis medicine.

(Pages for all conditions above are live. If your condition does not appear on this list, see the sections below.)

Conditions Covered Under Ohio’s Chronic Pain Qualifier

The following conditions are not separately listed in Ohio Revised Code Section 3796.01 but have been formally determined by the State Medical Board of Ohio to qualify under the chronic and severe or intractable pain category. If you have one of these conditions, you may qualify through the chronic pain pathway — visit our Chronic Pain page for full details on how the chronic pain qualification works.

Arthritis — including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic Migraines
Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) — full details here
Degenerative Disc Disease — full details here
Lupus — where pain is present

What If My Condition Isn’t Listed?

Some conditions that don’t appear on Ohio’s qualifying list may still be relevant to your evaluation. Anxiety is one of the most commonly asked about — while anxiety as a standalone diagnosis such as generalized anxiety disorder or panic disorder is not currently a qualifying condition under Ohio law, many patients who experience anxiety do qualify through a related condition. Anxiety is a core symptom cluster of PTSD, which is an explicitly listed qualifying condition under Ohio Revised Code Section 3796.01. Patients with a documented PTSD diagnosis whose symptoms include significant anxiety frequently qualify under that category. If you have been diagnosed with PTSD and experience anxiety as part of that condition, our Medical Marijuana for PTSD in Ohio page explains exactly how that qualification works and what documentation you need for your evaluation.

Similarly, other symptoms that accompany a listed qualifying condition may be considered during your evaluation. A physician holding a Certificate to Recommend issued by the State Medical Board of Ohio reviews your full medical history and symptom picture — not just a single diagnosis label. If you are unsure whether your situation qualifies, the evaluation is the right place to find out. You only pay if approved. Schedule yours here.

Can You Request That a New Condition Be Added in Ohio?

Yes. Ohio law allows residents and medical professionals to petition the State Medical Board of Ohio to consider adding new conditions to the qualifying list. The Board reviews petitions based on available scientific evidence and medical research before making a determination.

This process has already resulted in conditions being added since the program launched. The State Medical Board added irritable bowel syndrome as the 26th qualifying condition in July 2023 — and previously extended Ohio’s chronic pain qualifier to cover arthritis, chronic migraines, complex regional pain syndrome, degenerative disc disease, and lupus through its formal review process.

To submit a petition, the State Medical Board of Ohio provides a formal application process. Petitions must include supporting medical and scientific evidence for the condition being proposed. Full details on how to submit a petition are available directly through the State Medical Board of Ohio’s medical marijuana program page.

Not Sure If Your Condition Qualifies?

If your condition is not listed above or you are unsure whether it meets Ohio’s qualifying criteria, the evaluation is the right place to find out. Ohio-certified physicians review your specific diagnosis and medical history during the appointment — and you only pay if you are approved.

You can schedule your online evaluation here.

Sources

Ohio Revised Code Section 3796.01 — Ohio Laws
State Medical Board of Ohio — Covered Conditions — med.ohio.gov
Ohio Division of Cannabis Control — Ohio.gov