RECOMMENDING CANNABIS IN MINNESOTA

The ability to recommend medical cannabis in Minnesota rests with "health care practitioners," who are defined as doctors, physician's assistants, or advanced practicing nurses who are licensed to practice in the state. The recommending health care practitioner must have primary responsibility for the care and treatment of the qualifying medical condition that the patient is being recommended medical cannabis to treat. Health care practitioners may participate in the state's registry program to collect data on patient outcomes. The Commissioner of DOH is responsible for providing notice to health care providers about the existence of the program and to provide understanding about therapeutic use of medical cannabis within the program.

Physicians must register with the Department of Health. To enroll in the DOH Medical Cannabis Registry, physicians need to provide the following:

  • General information: name, address, email and phone.
  • Your medical license.
  • Your DEA license.
  • General information about the clinic(s) where you practice.

Important Registration Forms & Registry How-to Guides.

Qualifying Medical Conditions include:

  • Alzheimer's disease
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)
  • Autism spectrum disorder (must meet DSM-5)
  • Cancer
  • Chronic motor or vocal tic disorder
  • Chronic pain
  • Glaucoma
  • HIV/AIDS
  • Inflammatory bowel disease, including Crohn’s disease
  • Intractable pain
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (effective Aug. 1, 2023)
  • Obsessive-compulsive disorder (effective Aug. 1, 2023)
  • Obstructive sleep apnea
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Seizures, including those characteristic of epilepsy
  • Severe and persistent muscle spasms, including those characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Sickle cell disease
  • Terminal illness, with a probable life expectancy of less than one year
  • Tourette syndrome
  • If your illness or its treatment produces the following:
    • Severe or chronic pain
    • Nausea or severe vomiting
    • Cachexia (Wasting Syndrome)

Medical professionals have a legal right to recommend cannabis as a treatment in any state, as protected by the First Amendment. Established by a 2004 United States Supreme Court decision to uphold earlier federal court rulings that found doctors and their patients have a fundamental Constitutional right to freely discuss treatment options.

More resources for medical professionals can be found here.