Minnesota Cannabis News

[MinnBobber]

1. On July 7 a meeting of the therapeutic medical cannabis taskforce will be held. Details below:

News from the Office of Medical Cannabis

View this as a webpage​ July 2, 2020​ Reminder: Task Force on Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research meets July 7 The Minnesota Legislature’s Task Force on Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research will meet from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, July 7. Members of the public can view the meeting live on Rep. Mike Freiberg's Facebook page.​ Agenda Office of Medical Cannabis update​ Task force background and purpose COVID-19 response 2020 legislation Annual petition process update​ Qualifying medical conditions and delivery methods Medical Cannabis Price Study​ Presentation Discussion Impact assessment report Future meetings and agenda items For meeting background materials, visit the Task Force on Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research Meeting Information page.​

2. Mn Medical Cannabis Program is looking for med cannabis patients for a focus group

3. July is the magic month to submit petitions for adding new medical conditions or delivery methods.
I may submit (again), adding Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome (EDS) or Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency (CED).
I am tiring of all the bureaucratic bullshit and the ease with which they dismiss additions but we need to keep pushing.

4. Health Dept published a study of patient costs.
Average cost is $316 per month or $3800 per year............... and some had cost of over $1000 per month.
Note: no flower is legal...... only two suppliers with each having their own territory , so functionally two monopolies.

 

[MinnBobber]

MN is adding two new medical conditions, which effect a very small number of folks and rejecting anxiety as a new condition.
Anxiety would , of course, allow a huge number of new patients.
Our medical program is obscenely expensive so qualifying is still a deadend for many.

My petition to add COVID 19 as a qualifying condition was rejected at the entry point, never even went to the committee for review.

Note that there are several cannabis for Covid studies happening globally, and they show promising results. Cannabis stopped the Cytokine lung storm in lab mice and reversed the lung damage.
The anti cannabis stigma is alive and kickin

 

[BHOMG]

MN is adding two new medical conditions, which effect a very small number of folks and rejecting anxiety as a new condition.
Anxiety would , of course, allow a huge number of new patients.
Our medical program is obscenely expensive so qualifying is still a deadend for many.

My petition to add COVID 19 as a qualifying condition was rejected at the entry point, never even went to the committee for review.

Note that there are several cannabis for Covid studies happening globally, and they show promising results. Cannabis stopped the Cytokine lung storm in lab mice and reversed the lung damage.
The anti cannabis stigma is alive and kickin

That really sucks that anxiety and COVID-19 won't be added to the list. Hopefully they'll reconsider down the road, but the anti-cannabis stigma is tough to move beyond. I'm sorry that your petition hit a dead-end - thanks for trying, that's definitely a cause worth fighting for!

 

[MinnBobber]

MN Medical Program will start offering flower on March 1
Pre rolls or 3.5 G and 7 G only.
Baby steps as we need adult legal.

Pricing and strains not available yet.
With their cartridges at $125 for one gram, not expecting reasonable pricing??

 

[MinnBobber]

Our MN Medical is now selling flower

$55 for 3,5 G of smalls, Critical Jack.
Whooptee fucking do-daa
I ordered one just cuz it’s first day of legal Med flower.

The other 5 choices were mostly Indica dom

Baby steps baby.
And no 7 G available yet, limited supply to start.
Vireo product: flower quality in other Vireo states??

 

[macbill]

Minnesota Republican Senators Block Marijuana Legalization Vote

The Minnesota’s Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday blocked Democrats’ move to advance a marijuana legalization bill that’s been stalled in committee. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen (D) announced her plans to bring the issue up for consideration on the chamber floor...

www.marijuanamoment.net

 

[MinnBobber]

Minnesota Republican Senators Block Marijuana Legalization Vote

The Minnesota’s Republican-controlled Senate on Wednesday blocked Democrats’ move to advance a marijuana legalization bill that’s been stalled in committee. Democratic Senate Minority Leader Melisa López Franzen (D) announced her plans to bring the issue up for consideration on the chamber floor...

www.marijuanamoment.net

Unfortunately, the only way to get adult legal cannabis in MN isthmus our legislators. A ballot initiative is not allowed, via constitution.

Our State Senate Republicans will not even allow a floor discussion, thus blocking our state democracy…. blocking any progress by a few key gatekeepers.
They are ignorant dinosaurs

 

[Principal Guy]

Unfortunately, the only way to get adult legal cannabis in MN isthmus our legislators. A ballot initiative is not allowed, via constitution.

Our State Senate Republicans will not even allow a floor discussion, thus blocking our state democracy…. blocking any progress by a few key gatekeepers.
They are ignorant dinosaurs

Amen! I know we shouldn’t speak of politics, but it appears obvious to me which political party is opposed to cannabis. I recently had a fellow patient in a Minnesota dispensary tell me it was the opposite political party holding up legislation. Interesting, the Democratic governor supports it and the Democratic House supports it. The republican Senate opposes it. Seems very clear to me which political party is holding up the process.

 

[Adobewan]

Amen! I know we shouldn’t speak of politics, but it appears obvious to me which political party is opposed to cannabis. I recently had a fellow patient in a Minnesota dispensary tell me it was the opposite political party holding up legislation. Interesting, the Democratic governor supports it and the Democratic House supports it. The republican Senate opposes it. Seems very clear to me which political party is holding up the process.

It appears that way... but neither Obama nor Biden used their power to help. It's one of the few issues that both sides of the population are together on, but the adamantine tethers between our leaders and corporations regularly discount democracy.

 

[gordontreeman]

It appears that way... but neither Obama nor Biden used their power to help. It's one of the few issues that both sides of the population are together on, but the adamantine tethers between our leaders and corporations regularly discount democracy.

While I don’t disagree with your last point, the president doesn’t unilaterally make laws. Obama directed the justice department to ease up on enforcing federal laws in states that had legalized. It was the president and AG in 2018 who rescinded those directives (https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...asing-of-marijuana-prosecutions-idUSKBN1ET1MU).

 

[macbill]

New edible cannabis law catches some Minnesota regulators, lawmakers by surprise

Questions remain of how the legislation made it through the Republican-controlled Senate.

www.startribune.com

Minnesotans who are 21 or older can now buy THC-infused edibles and beverages that contain no more than 5 milligrams per serving and 50 milligrams per package.

 

[vapviking]

New edible cannabis law catches some Minnesota regulators, lawmakers by surprise

Questions remain of how the legislation made it through the Republican-controlled Senate.

www.startribune.com

Minnesotans who are 21 or older can now buy THC-infused edibles and beverages that contain no more than 5 milligrams per serving and 50 milligrams per package.

I love that legislators were confused as to exactly what they were allowing.
The thc has to be all hemp-derived, that's gonna take a lot of hemp!

On balance, this is progress and we take what we can get these days!

 

[Principal Guy]

New edible cannabis law catches some Minnesota regulators, lawmakers by surprise

Questions remain of how the legislation made it through the Republican-controlled Senate.

www.startribune.com

Minnesotans who are 21 or older can now buy THC-infused edibles and beverages that contain no more than 5 milligrams per serving and 50 milligrams per package.

The general population gets edibles before medical patients, which become available August 1, 2022. Sounds like republican senate didn’t read the fine print! Okay by me

 

[vapviking]

one of my fav satire sites has this take on it:

Minnesota Accidentally Legalizes Weed, Forgets To Tax It, Can't Find Car

Why can't you be more adult about this, like Colorado?

www.wonkette.com

 

[Principal Guy]

Loved this quote from star tribune this morning…
“Welcome to Minnesota, home of the nation's most restrictive, least accessible, most expensive, least profitable medical marijuana program.”

 

[MinnBobber]

Loved this quote from star tribune this morning…
“Welcome to Minnesota, home of the nation's most restrictive, least accessible, most expensive, least profitable medical marijuana program.”

Truer words have never been spoken by the Star Trib.
We have two monopolies, each with their own territories so no competition.

We need full legal but that is a painfully slow process…

 

[MinnBobber]

MN adds gummies/ edibles tomorrow BUT the two appointed monopolies are pricing them stratospherically, as expected.

A package has 100 mg in total , divided into 10 servings of 10 mg.
$35 For 100 mg……..
Yikes

 

[Principal Guy]

Longtime Green Goods patient here who has been loving the Rise dispensary sativa flower strains I’ve had recently. North Star, V6 Haze and WhiteXSuperSilver Haze all highly recommended! I’ve enjoyed many of the Green Goods strains but it has been nice to mix it up a bit.

 

[MinnBobber]

Longtime Green Goods patient here who has been loving the Rise dispensary sativa flower strains I’ve had recently. North Star, V6 Haze and WhiteXSuperSilver Haze all highly recommended! I’ve enjoyed many of the Green Goods strains but it has been nice to mix it up a bit.

@Principal Guy thanks.
Green Goods has had very few sativas, oftentimes none.
I may have to get a pharmacist meeting with Rise / get registered to access their flower.

 

[Principal Guy]

@Principal Guy thanks.
Green Goods has had very few sativas, oftentimes none.
I may have to get a pharmacist meeting with Rise / get registered to access their flower.

Add Lemontine sativa strain to the list! Just added today. Excellent lemon terps and 20%+ THC.

 

[Principal Guy]

Edibles Review
Here’s the breakdown of the two legal dispensaries in Minnesota. Both taste much better than anything I have ever made! Seems like Rise is the better buy WITH better ingredients IMHO. Rise also offers sativa and indica varieties. Green Goods just offers different flavors.

Rise edibles
$30/100mg
Tapioca Syrup, Sugar, Water, Modified Potato Starch, Sorbitol, Gelatin, Citric Acid, Coconut Oil, Natural Flavor, Unmodified Potato Starch, Cannabis Extract, Fruit and Vegetable Juice (color), Carnauba Wax, Limonene, Beta Caryophyllene

Green Goods edibles
$35/100mg
Sugar,corn syrup, water, glycerin, pectin, flavor, citric acid, mct oil, cannabis extract, color, sodium citrate

 

[Principal Guy]

Getting extremely frustrated with the lack of variety and strength in medical Minnesota cannabis. THC strength has been steadily DROPPING since introducing March 1, 2022. Very few strains over 20% THC. Most strains are in the 10-15% THC range. Prices remain in the $45-70 range for an eighth. The best strains sell out in minutes or hours. I check both medical dispensaries at all metro locations 20 times a day. The state of Minnesota’s impotent medical program is truly the worst in the country. I swore I would never resort to out-of-state travel again for medicine but I can not continue counting on the two companies any longer.

 

[MinnBobber]

@Principal Guy ,
X2 as MN Medical has to be worst in the country.

Mostly the same 6 strains and THC levels are dropping significantly like you said. What’s up
with that???

I only use Green Goods but both are bad. For a long time there were no sativas and at best one or two.

It is bad, I gave up on searching daily .

 

[Principal Guy]

Minnesota medical flower means “bottom shelf dispensary bud for a top shelf price.”It also turns law abiding citizens into criminals who travel out of state for medicine. Iron Mountain Michigan is a five hour drive from the Minneapolis metro area. I could buy top shelf weed for a fraction of the medical price in Minnesota. I could also get a wide variety of great concentrates there as they are still illegal for medical cannabis in Minnesota. I could stay in a hotel if I didn’t want to make the 10 hour round-trip drive. I would still save lots of money. Truly a rotten medical program in this state.

 

[gordontreeman]

Our medical system is pretty sad. I have a qualifying medical condition so I have looked into it since it started (gosh I don’t even remember when, I was studying at a coffee shop on Nicollet and Franklin when I heard). It used to just be oil pens/extractions, so the fact that we have flower now is a step in the right direction. I wish the d’s had the political capital to just pass rec laws, though. The costs and hoops of the medical program are a lot, and what responsible adults choose to do in their free time is really no one else’s business.

Bit of a non sequitur, but I wish businesses would drop the drug testing as a condition of employment as well (or at least cannabis). When I was finishing my degree I got an offer from a large Fortune 500 in the twin cities, and it really rubbed me the wrong way to get that with my offer letter. I’ve had professional white collar jobs since (plenty of blue collar work before finishing my degree) and haven’t had to deal with it since.