SIDNEY – Andrew Brandewie of Sidney has been indicted by the Shelby County grand jury for his alleged role in dispensing marijuana to a juvenile.
The 34-year-old Brandewie of 1201 Cinnamon Ridge Lane, has been charged with one count of corrupting another with drugs, a fourth-degree felony. He will be arraigned on Feb. 28 in Shelby County Common Pleas Court.
The indictment indicates Brandewie provided a juvenile with medical marijuana during January 2019.
On Feb. 6, following an investigation by the Sidney Police Department, Shelby County Job and Family Services and the Ohio State Board of Pharmacy, Brandewie lost his license to purchase medical marijuana. He is the first in the state to be censured for such a violation.
According to published reports, Brandewie purchased the marijuana legally and then allegedly provided it to at least two people who did not have licenses to use it, including a juvenile.
On Feb. 7, Grant Miller, medical marijuana patient and caregiver liaison for the State of Ohio Board of Pharmacy, told the SDN that patients are not given prescriptions for marijuana by their doctors. The process is different from that for other pharmaceuticals.
“If a patient has one of the 21 conditions (for which marijuana use has been ruled acceptable), a doctor can give him a recommendation. Then the doctor must register the patient (with the state). (The doctor) creates a profile for (the patient). The doctor can attach the recommendation, can give up to three refills and provide specific instructions.”
Patients become eligible to pay a registration fee and receive a card that identifies them as legal purchasers of the marijuana. They can take the card to licensed dispensaries to purchase the drug, Miller commented.
Because of the pharmacy board’s action on Feb. 6, Brandewie’s registration is no longer valid, according to Miller.
Legal use statistics
According to statistics listed on the website of the Ohio Medical Marijuana Control Program at www.medicalmarijuana.ohio.gov, between Jan. 16 through Feb. 3, 2019, more than a half-million dollars in sales was realized in Ohio. A total of 68.22 pounds of Medical Marijuana statewide generated $502,961 in sales.
On the same website, since the program began and through Jan. 31, 2019, a total of 12,873 patients in Ohio are registered as users. In all, 17,077 people have been recommended for medical marijuana use. Currently, 374 Ohio physicians are registered to recommend Medical Marijuana.
Through Feb. 3, the same report shows 10,910 patients have a pain-addled condition that is either chronic and severe or intractable. Another 2,622 patients are for post-traumatic stress disorder; 1,973 have fibromyalgia; and another 1,082 patients with cancer are listed as the highest use for the care.
