Minnesota will let hospitals dispense medical cannabis in pill and liquid forms after the governor signed off on a change to the state’s MMJ law, but it’s unlikely they’ll actually purchase marijuana directly from the state’s two producers.
The original bill legalizing medical marijuana in the state didn’t include hospitals as places where MMJ can be distributed, leaving some healthcare facilities wondering how they would handle patients who use medical cannabis, according to Minnesota Public Radio. The amendment passed by the Legislature and approved by Gov. Mark Dayton answers that question.
Patients will need to be on the Minnesota medical cannabis patient registry, scheduled to launch next week, and hospitals will be allowed to restrict use and storage of MMJ, according to KDAL news.
Hospitals most likely won’t acquire cannabis; rather, they will probably designate a staff member as an eligible caregiver or allow patients and their family members to bring in their own marijuana pills or liquids, according to the report. Smoking marijuana is not allowed under the state’s MMJ law.
