Democratic Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota signed legislation into law Tuesday that includes provisions permitting registered medical cannabis patients who are 21 or older to access medical cannabis flower.
A bicameral conference committee approved the policy change as part of a broader omnibus bill related to healthcare earlier this month. House and Senate lawmakers then approved the report on the last day of the 2021 legislative session.
The measure also allows patients to obtain medical cannabis via curbside pickup, increases the number of patients a single caregiver may serve from one to six, and allows the commissioner to remove existing qualifying conditions from the designated list if they receive a petition to do so.
The new law will take effect once regulations are established. Regulators have until March 1, 2022 to do so. Minnesota is one of only a handful of medical cannabis access states that prohibits patients from accessing flower products.
The Minnesota House of Representatives approved a stand-alone piece of legislation to legalize adult use marijuana and regulate retail sales earlier this month, which did not receive any further consideration in the Senate.
