ST PAUL, Minn. — The state's medical cannabis program is adding two new qualifiers.
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced Wednesday that starting next August, irritable bowel syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder will be added to the list of qualifying medical conditions for the state's medical cannabis program.
Here is MDH's current list of qualifying conditions:
- Alzheimer's disease
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
- Autism spectrum disorder
- Cancer
- Chronic motor or vocal tic disorder
- Chronic pain
- Glaucoma
- HIV/AIDS
- Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn's disease
- Intractable pain
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy
- Severe and persistent muscle spasms
- Sickle cell disease
- Terminal illness
- Tourette syndrome
Minnesota medical cannabis legislation was first signed into law on May 29, 2014.
Patients could start getting cannabis products on the state’s Medical Cannabis Registry on July 1, 2015.
More than 5,000 patients took part in the state's Medical Cannabis Program in 2017. In 2022, 30,000 patients are in the program.
At the beginning of the program, there were nine qualifying conditions. With the new additions beginning Aug. 1, 2023, the list will be 19.
"We are adding the new qualifying conditions to allow patients more therapy options for conditions that can be debilitating," said Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm in a news release.
Last year, the program added edibles to its product options, which include dried cannabis, pills, vapor oils, liquids, topicals, powdered mixtures, and lozenges.