Will medical marijuana ease Bengals’ fans pain?

If you’re a long-suffering Cincinnati Bengals or Cleveland Browns fan, then know that someone out there feels your pain.

Petitions have been sent to the Ohio State Medical Board asking that being a Bengals or Browns fan be considered qualifying conditions for medical marijuana treatment.

The suggested “condition” is listed as 10th on a list of 28 medical conditions the board has been asked to consider.

The board will meet Feb. 12 to discuss the petitions. A committee will decide which petitions will be considered. And a final vote on which conditions to approve for treatment is expected later this summer.

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Chief among the requested conditions are anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, autism spectrum disorder and other non-sports-fandom-related conditions.

“Petitions which do meet the requirements will proceed and be reviewed by subject matter experts,” the board said in a news release Tuesday. “These experts may include physicians who specialize in the named conditions, experts who have experience with medical marijuana programs in other states, etc.

“Petitions for the same condition will be combined for the reviews,” the released added. “Any petition for a condition that has been previously reviewed by the board and rejected will not be considered by the board unless new scientific research that supports the request is offered.”

It’s unclear what “scientific research” would support making Bengals or Browns fandom eligible for medical marijuana treatment.

A message seeking comment was left Tuesday with a spokeswoman for the board.

The Bengals emerged from the 2019 season with a 2-14 record. The Browns finished with a 6-10 record, third in the AFC North. Before the season, some observers expected the Cleveland team to perhaps make it to the playoffs.

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