Minnesota’s first legal protections for patients were established in 2014 with the signing of the Minnesota Medical Marijuana Act (SF 2470). This provided legal protections for patients with certain debilitating medical conditions. Minnesota has continued to update their qualifying conditions list throughout the years, making medical cannabis more accessible. Medical cannabis is legal in Minnesota however home cultivation is illegal in Minnesota. Patients may use liquid, pill or vaporized delivery methods. Patients report limited access due to high costs and an insufficient number of dispensaries. Minnesota does not recognize out of state medical cannabis cards. Details on how these laws apply to patients and medical professionals can be found below.

Navigating Minnesota State Laws:

Patients and Caregivers: Enrolling and Accessing Medical Cannabis

Medical Professionals: Procedures for recommending Medical Cannabis

Policymakers and Advocates: Actions Needed to Improve Laws for Patients

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Here is a breakdown of how Minnesota fared in ASA’s Annual State of the States Report, which evaluates the effectiveness of each state cannabis program from a patient perspective and assigns a grade using a rubric that reflects the key issues affecting patient access. Medical cannabis laws are constantly changing, ASA’s policy recommendations for Minnesota can be found below. For policy updates sign up here.

Patient Rights and Civil Protections	90/100
Arrest Protection 25/25 Affirmative Defense 20/20 Parental Rights Protections 20/20 DUI Protections 0/10 Employment Protections 20/20 Explicit Privacy Standards 5/5
Access to Medicine	30/100
Authorizes Retail Access 10/10 Alternative Accessibility Methods 10/20 - Authorizes Delivery 0/10 - Authorizes Curbside Pickup 10/10 Personal Cultivation 0/15 Collective Gardening 0/5 Sufficient Number of Licensed Retailers 10/30 Reciprocity 0/20
Program Functionality	59/100
Legal Protections Within Reasonable Time Frame 10/20 Reasonable Possession Limits 10/10 Reasonable Purchase Limits 10/10 Telemedicine for Physician Certifications 15/15 Patient and Physician Representation in Program Decision Making 0/20 Reasonable Caregiver Standards 4/5 - Background Checks 1/2 - Number of Caregivers 3/3 Reasonable Physician Standards 5/5 Access to Administration Methods 5/10 - Allows Dried Flower 0/5 - Allows Edibles, Concentrates, and Other Forms 5/5 Provides Access to Minors on School Grounds 0/5
Affordability	35/100
Sales Tax Break for Patients and Caregivers 20/20 Covered by State Insurance or Health Aid 0/20 Reasonable Registration Fees 0/20 Financial Hardship Waivers or Discounts 15/20 Donation Program 0/10 Allows Multi-Year Registrations 0/10
Health and Social Equity	57/100
State Program Protections 25/25 Housing Protections 10/25 Access for Minors 10/10 Access in Underserved Areas 0/10 List of Qualifying Conditions is Exhaustive or All Inclusive 7/10 Allows Patients to Medicate Where they Choose 0/10 Organ Transplants 5/5 Ownership or Employment Restrictions 0/5
Consumer Protection and Product Safety	69/200
Cultivation Operations 25/50 Quality Management Systems 5/10 Staff Training 5/10 Standard Operating Procedures 4/8 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Water Management 0/1 - Records Management 1/1 Pesticide Usage Limitations 1/2 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/2 Required Testing 5/8 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 1/1 - Aflatoxins 1/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 1/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Moisture Content/ Water Activity 1/1 Packaging and Labeling 1/3 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Pesticides 1/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting, and Recall Protocol 4/7 Manufacturing Operations 21/50 Quality Management Systems 5/10 Staff Training 5/10 Standard Operating Procedures 6/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 1/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 1/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 1/1 - Security 1/1 - Waste Disposal 1/1 - Records Management 1/1 Environmental Impact Regulations 0/3 Required Testing 0/10 - Cannabinoids 0/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Microbials 0/1 - Aflatoxins 0/1 - Pesticides 0/1 - Heavy Metals 0/1 - Residual Solvents 0/1 - Homogeneity 0/1 - Foreign Matter 0/1 - Water Activity 0/1 Packaging and Labeling 2/5 - Cannabinoids 1/1 - Terpenes 0/1 - Ingredients 1/1 - Allergens 0/1 - Nutritional Content 0/1 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 3/5 Dispensary Operations 0/50 Staff Training 0/20 Standard Operating Procedures 0/7 - Facility Sanitation 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Storage 0/1 - Batch and Lot Tracking 0/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Product Testing 0/10 - Product Meets Requirements Before Sale 0/5 - COA Disclosure 0/5 Complaints, Adverse Event Reporting and Recall Protocol 0/13 Laboratory Operations 23/50 Independent or Third-Party 5/5 Laboratory Sampling 0/5 Method Validation 4/4 Quality Management Systems 3/5 Staff Training 10/20 Standard Operating Procedures 1/7 - Facility and Equipment Sanitation 0/1 - Equipment and Instrument Calibration 0/1 - Workplace Safety 0/1 - Sample Tracking 1/1 - Security 0/1 - Waste Disposal 0/1 - Records Management 0/1 Result Reporting 0/4
Score Penalties	0/100
Gives Regulatory Preference to Adult Use 0/20 Classifies Cannabis as a Medicine of Last Resort 0/15 Administrative or Supply Problems 0/15 Requires Vertical Integration 0/10 Creates New Criminal Penalties for Patients 0/10 Limits Patients to a Single Retailer 0/10 No System for Adding Qualifying Conditions 0/10 Imposes Bans or Limits on THC 0/5 Imposes Bans or Limits on CBD 0/5
Excerpted from ASA's 2022 State of the States Report.