Medical Marijuana For All: Minnesota Empowers Patients And Doctors To Determine Eligibility

In a significant shift in Minnesota’s approach to medical cannabis, the state legislation now empowers physicians to have the final say in recommending cannabis, rendering the previously stringent list of qualifying medical conditions essentially obsolete.

As of July 1, 2024, the change allows for a more flexible approach, aligning with the growing acceptance of marijuana’s medical benefits.

“It just doesn’t fit anymore to have one of the nation’s most restrictive lists of qualifying conditions,” said state Sen. Lindsey Port (D), a key proponent of the legislation. “We want to make sure, if they have a condition that cannabis can help, that their doctor can help them find the right kind of cannabis. With the legal market open, there is really no reason to limit what doctors can prescribe because folks will be able to go out there and get anything.”

In addition to marking a pivotal moment in Minnesota’s cannabis policy, noted the Star Tribune, which first reported this story, the new approach could potentially set a precedent for other states that are grappling with the medical versus recreational cannabis debate.

Minnesota became the 23rd state to legalize recreational marijuana and home cultivation in May 2023.

Under the new law, Minnesotans will no longer be required to undergo the cumbersome annual process to petition for the inclusion of new medical conditions. All conditions are acceptable if their doctors recommend it. However, petitions for new methods of consumption like gummies and smokeable forms will still be considered.

The legislation also permits the cultivation of up to eight cannabis plants by individuals authorized by a doctor or those caring for medical marijuana patients.

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Despite the green light for home cultivation, experience from other states suggests that few people might opt for this route as recreational cannabis use and availability gain ground. Port, however, noted it was important to maintain a medical cannabis framework, particularly for minors who benefit from its therapeutic properties but are ineligible to access recreational cannabis.

“If we’re not thoughtful about how we do it, the recreational market can put the medical market out of necessity,” Port said.

Minnesota’s medical cannabis program, which got underway in 2015, originally included only eight conditions. This list expanded over the years to 19, driven by mounting evidence of cannabis’s efficacy in treating diverse ailments such as intractable pain and PTSD. The program’s enrollment ballooned from 18,000 in 2019 to 48,000 participants, spurred further by the introduction of a recreational marketplace.

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