Starting in August 2022, medical cannabis patients in Minnesota will be able to purchase infused cannabis products, including gummies and chews, the state Health Department announced last week. Currently, the state only allows for pills, vapor, liquids, topicals, powdered mixtures, and orally dissolvable products, like lozenges.
Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm said the expansion “will mean more options for patients who cannot tolerate currently available forms of medical cannabis.”
In May, state lawmakers approved a measure to allow smokable forms of cannabis in the state’s medical cannabis program, which the Health Department said would be available to patients in March of next year.
The agency indicated that the rulemaking for flower products is currently underway and that the rulemaking process for edibles will commence later this month.
The Minnesota Department of Health also announced that no new qualifying conditions for the state’s medical cannabis program were added this year but that anxiety disorder or panic disorder were considered before officials rejected the conditions “due to a lack of scientific evidence to support effectiveness as well as concerns expressed.”
“We received many comments from health care practitioners treating patients with anxiety disorder, and they urged us to not approve it as a qualifying medical condition,” Malcolm said in a statement. “We recognize that not everyone has equal access to therapy — which is considered the front-line treatment — but ultimately we concluded that the risk of additional harms to patients outweighed perceived benefits.”
The Health Department said the review of the conditions was requested by Malcolm and that the agency performed “an in-depth review” before deciding on the denial.
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