Minnesota Considers Adding Intractable Pain to MMJ List

Some good news might be on the horizon for Minnesota’s two medical cannabis producers.

The state Department of Health is considering adding intractable pain to the relatively small list of qualifying conditions for MMJ.

That could mean a huge boost in the potential customer base for the two firms, as the number of registered patients right now stands at just 361, according to a Minneapolis TV station. Allowing individuals to get MMJ cards for intractable pain would likely boost patient numbers by thousands, or perhaps even tens of thousands.

The state will hold community meetings to get public feedback on the proposal before making a decision.

The dearth of patients so far in Minnesota’s nascent cannabis program is somewhat worrisome, as it signals that patients are running into difficulties finding doctors to recommend MMJ. The medical conditions list is also so narrow that few patients actually qualify.

That’s created a difficult business climate and is one of the reasons that Minnesota Medical Solutions – which holds a license to grow and sell medical cannabis – decided to increase its prices last month.