Minnesota state health officials announced Wednesday that patients with irritable bowel syndrome and obsessive-compulsive disorder will now qualify for the state’s medical cannabis program. Those new patients can begin receiving treatments in August.
“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 press release.
Program Director Chris Tholkes explained that this process of receiving submissions from the public about which illnesses or disorders can qualify happens every year.
“We’ve seen a large number of people receive benefit for all sorts of conditions,” said Tholkes. ““Anyone can submit a petition for us to add a new qualifying condition.”
Tholkes said irritable bowel disease was already on the list, but enough people diagnosed with IBS had asked to be included.
She also said a possible legalization of adult recreational marijuana may have some impact on her program—but likely won’t end it completely.
“We might lose some patients to the adult-use market,” she said. “In Minnesota in particular, we have many patients working with a pharmacist to go over what may work best for them, and I think patients really value that relationship.”
Tholkes said the state is looking at other places where two programs exist.
“In some states, the adult use products are taxed, and maybe the medical cannabis products are not,” she said. “Sometimes they will offer a different variety of products than are offered in the medical program.”
For more information about the Minnesota Department of Health’s medical cannabis program, click here.
