Ohio Adult-Use Marijuana Sales Approved as Part of 2023 Ballot Measure Could Begin by Mid-June

Recreational marijuana could be available for sale in Ohio by mid-June, after new licensing rules for dispensaries cleared a key legislative hurdle Monday.

Adult-use sales have been in limbo in the state since December, when an initiated statute approved by voters went into effect. Ohioans over 21 were immediately able to legally grow and possess cannabis at home, but they had nowhere to legally buy it — prompting concern by Gov. Mike DeWine and some fellow Republicans in the Legislature that openings would be created for a black market. On Monday, the Joint Committee on Agency Rule Review allowed rules to proceed without objection that clear the way for a dual licensing program that will allow existing medical marijuana dispensaries to also sell non-medical pot products. Jim Canepa, superintendent of the Division of Cannabis Control, said applications will be available by no later than June 7, as the new law requires.

The new law allows adults 21 and over to buy and possess up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis and to grow up to six plants per individual or 12 plants per household at home. It gave the state nine months to set up a system for legal marijuana purchases, subject to a 10% tax. Sales revenue is to be divided between administrative costs, addiction treatment, municipalities with dispensaries, paying for social equity and jobs programs supporting the cannabis industry itself.

More Addiction Patients Can Take Methadone at Home, But Some States Lag Behind

Despite methadone’s effectiveness, a labyrinth of state and federal rules — meant to guard against its misuse — keeps it inaccessible to many people who desperately need it.

Yet addiction treatment in the United States is poised for change. This year, the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, known as SAMHSA, made permanent a set of pandemic-era rules that loosened several restrictions, including those on take-home doses of methadone. It’s a move that a broad consensus of academics, advocates and providers says will improve treatment access and success rates. Having the flexibility to take medication at home can mean patients can get to work or get their kids to school on time. They can deal with family emergencies and unexpected travel. And they avoid the stigma of waiting in line at a clinic. In theory, the new federal rules make more take-home methadone doses available to a wider subset of patients. But what’s less clear is how the rules will trickle down to states. There’s concern states that didn’t preserve the relaxed regulations they had during the pandemic might be slow to adopt them now. “A number of states will have to revise their regulations if they’re going to be in alignment with what SAMHSA has released,” Mark Parrino, founder and president of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence Inc., a national trade group that supports the new federal regulations. “What could delay implementation would be the state regulators.”

Later this month at his group’s annual conference, SAMHSA will convene a closed-door meeting of regulators from all 50 states to discuss the new federal rules and how states might bring their own standards into compliance, Parrino said.

It’s all happening as the opioid crisis, driven by rising fentanyl overdoses, has prompted a chorus of physicians and advocates to call for loosening methadone restrictions even further — a move that leaders at many opioid treatment programs oppose.

Key House Committee Advances 2-Year Telehealth Extension Bill

The House Ways and Means Committee passed the Preserving Telehealth, Hospital, and Ambulance Access Act by a vote of 41-0 after lawmakers raised concerns about the need for more guardrails and hospice recertification.

The move sets up the legislation for passage by the full House later this year. This extension will maintain many of the current Medicare telehealth flexibilities through the end of calendar year 2026.

"While we prefer Medicare telehealth flexibilities be made permanent, we understand the dynamics and applaud the Committee for a two-year extension of many of the critical flexibilities without arbitrary and unnecessary guardrails such as in-person requirements,” said Kyle Zebley, senior vice president, public policy, at the ATA and executive director of ATA Action. “This is a clear sign that our bipartisan telehealth supporters are at work, determined not to leave the American people without access to safe, effective, quality healthcare where and when they need it. But this is not over yet. There will be additional markups and other committees need to weigh in, as we continue to push for telehealth permanency.”

Peer Support Specialists Drive Value as Behavioral Health Providers Embrace New Workforce

Peer support services are rapidly gaining mainstream acceptance thanks to recent federal initiatives, new reimbursement opportunities and the fallout from the opioid crisis.

Peers have a unique ability to drive sustained patient engagement, industry insiders said at Behavioral Health Business’ VALUE conference. This makes the peer support model cost-effective for providers looking to shift away from fee-for-service models and toward value-based care.

Peer support specialists are people with lived experience of behavioral health conditions who are now in recovery and can offer support to people currently grappling with similar conditions. They are not clinically trained and do not offer diagnoses or treatments.

Industry leaders observe that Peer models are gathering momentum nationwide, especially over the last five years, coupled with certification processes now existing in every state and are Medicaid reimbursable in 35. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) considers peer support to be a best practice.