Ohio_Patient_Network

A statewide organization of patients had been a long-term dream of many medicinal cannabis activists in Ohio. The Ohio Patient Network began to officially solidify after the Ohio Medical Marijuana Educational Conference was held at Ohio State University in January 2001. This conference was sponsored by Drug Policy Education of Ohio and funded by the Drug Policy Foundation.

Shortly after that conference, a group of patients, caregivers, and activists from all over Ohio got together on the Internet to discuss strategies to legalize medical marijuana in Ohio. From this meeting, the Ohio Patient Network (OPN) was officially born.  We incorporated and applied for non profit status.  We were awarded 501-C3 non profit status by the IRS, where donations are tax deductible.

Several years later we recognized that our ability to influence legislation was limited by our 501-C3 designation so we formed the Ohio Patient Action Network a 501-C4 organization that would be able to lobby and be more political active than OPN. 

Donations to the 501-C4 are not not tax deductible, but are for the 501-C3.

Note there are two seperate boards for C3 & C4 both are helping medical marijuana patients network and working for changing the laws. 

1. Defines the legitimate medical use of cannabis (aka marihuana)
2. Protects patients from arrest and allows law enforcement to easily identify legitimate patients
3. Protects primary caregivers of patients from arrest and prison
4. Provides patients a legal means of obtaining and using cannabis
5. Creates protections beyond arrest and prison for patients, caregivers, and physicians
6. Allows patients/caregivers to talk about medical use in court if arrested
7. Establishes government control mechanism
8. Establishes sensible restrictions on medical cannabis use
9. Does not require physicians to violate federal law