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Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program regulators on Thursday released proposed rules for medical marijuana testing labs and how much marijuana Ohio patients can buy at one time and how they can consume it.

(Jackie Borchardt, cleveland.com)

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio patients would be able to buy 6 ounces of medical marijuana for vaporization during a 90-day period under draft rules released Thursday, a smaller amount than what's allowed in most other legal states.

The proposed rules released Thursday detail how patients could legally consume marijuana through Ohio's new medical marijuana program and how the state will license and regulate testing labs.

State law limits patients to a 90-day supply but doesn't define how much that is.

The State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy has proposed different amounts depending on the form:

Patients would be limited to 4 ounces of plant material with higher THC levels -- above 23 percent -- in a 90-day supply. State officials said Ohio would be the first state to limit legal supply by the level of THC, a compound in marijuana that generates a high.

Patients would be limited to buying the equivalent of 40.5 grams of THC in vaping oils, 19.8 grams of THC in transdermal patches and 9 grams of THC in edibles, oils and tinctures taken orally.

Patients could mix and match the forms, but each amount added together could not exceed a total 90-day supply. So if a patient bought 70 days worth of plant material, he or she could not buy more than 30 days worth of vaping oils or edibles.

Smoking is not allowed by state law.

The proposed rules also set guidelines for marijuana products and paraphernalia:

Marijuana-infused edible products could not resemble gummy bears or other popular candies and oils for vaping could not be made in flavors other than menthol.

Patients could use vaporizers to heat plant material as long as it is not burned.

Testing labs will test samples from each batch of marijuana plants and some marijuana products to determine the levels of THC and other compounds and screen for contamination. Per state law, testing labs can only be affiliated with state colleges and universities for the first year of operation. Under the proposed rules, testing labs would have to pay an annual $20,000 license fee.

The Ohio Medical Marijuana Advisory Committee will review the rules at its meeting Thursday.

Ohio's medical marijuana law allows patients with 20 medical conditions to buy and use marijuana if recommended by a doctor. Marijuana cannot be grown at home.

The law left most of the regulatory details, including how to license growers and register patients, to the Ohio Department of Commerce, Ohio State Board of Pharmacy and Ohio State Medical Board to decide over the next year.

Public comment will be collected on both testing lab and form and method rules until March 10.

Rules for cultivators, product manufacturers, dispensaries, doctors and patients and caregivers have already been released and are going through several periods of review and public comment.

Mobile readers, click here to read the draft form and method rules.

Mobile readers, click here to read the draft testing lab rules.