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Nov. 27, 2024

Minnesota’s medical cannabis program will not expand medication options in 2025

The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will not add any new medical delivery methods (the form in which a medication is taken) to the medical cannabis program in 2025.

OCM is required by law to conduct an annual petition process on delivery methods for Minnesota’s medical cannabis program. Under state law, decisions on petitions are due by Dec. 1. Any new delivery methods become available in August the year following approval.

Three petitions considered for the program this year were to allow for dry powder inhalation, infused flower, and concentrates. OCM evaluated the petitions based on a review of scientific evidence and potential health and safety impacts for patients.

“Minnesota’s medical cannabis program has been in place for a decade, and during that time has prioritized its responsibility to balance our patient’s need for relief from acute diagnosed medical conditions with the responsibility to ensure products available to them are safe and beneficial,” said Charlene Briner, interim director of the Office of Cannabis Management. “That balance is the lens we used to make determinations on the three petitions that were considered this year.”

Dry powder inhalers are a method of consuming dry powder containing THC, CBD, and/or additional cannabinoids. These inhalers are similar to those used for asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease medication.

While dry powder inhalers are being used to treat some chronic diseases, federal limitations on cannabis research means there are limited peer-reviewed studies to show this method would benefit or be safe for medical cannabis patients. As future research becomes available, this delivery method could be reconsidered.

Infused flower products and cannabis concentrates are products that have high levels of THC. Higher levels of THC, while beneficial to some patients, have also been shown to increase the risk of adverse health events and cannabis use disorder.

The Office of Cannabis Management is in the process of enacting new rules that will guide the medical cannabis program into the future. Approving new delivery methods that are impacted by rulemaking now would be premature while that process is underway.

For a list of approved medical cannabis delivery methods, visit the Office of Cannabis Management website. For information about becoming a medical cannabis patient, go to How to Become a Medical Cannabis Patient.