Minnesota’s health commissioner has authorized a significant expansion of medical marijuana in the state, approving cannabis use for chronic pain and some eye conditions and announcing more stores and methods to deliver prescriptions.
Intractable pain already is the most common qualifying condition for two-thirds of the state’s 18,000 medical cannabis users, but the addition of chronic pain starting in August should dramatically increase the number of legal users. Cannabis also will be permissible for people with age-related macular degeneration, a retinal condition that degrades vision over time.
“The bottom line is that people suffering from these serious conditions may be helped by participating in the program, and we felt it was important to give them the opportunity to seek that relief,” state health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said in expanding to 16 the number of qualifying conditions in Minnesota.