Medicinal Cannabis Flower Sales Begin In Minnesota
Minnesota residents can now purchase medical cannabis, making products more affordable for patients who need access.
Sales of medicinal cannabis flower began in Minnesota on Monday, giving the state’s medical marijuana patients a new and more affordable option to access their medicine of choice. The Minnesota Department of Health announced in February that cannabis flower would be added to the state’s medical marijuana program, which until this week only permitted patients to use processed cannabis products such as extracts, distillates, capsules, and topicals.
Chris Tholkes, the director of Minnesota’s Office of Medical Cannabis, said that the addition of cannabis flower was made primarily to make medical marijuana products more affordable for patients. With manufacturing costs included in the cost of processed cannabis products, they are generally more expensive than dried and cured cannabis flower. Regulators expect the addition of cannabis flower to the medical marijuana program to result in a spike in the number of registered patients.
“It gives patients a much more affordable access point to the medicine that cannabis provides,” said Dr. Kyle Kingsley, the CEO of Vireo Health of Minnesota. “Many patients switching from our more standard products to flower will be able to save about 50 percent on a monthly basis to treat their various medical conditions.”
Patricia Gates was one of the first patients to purchase cannabis flower at the Green Goods medical dispensary in downtown Minneapolis on Monday. She agreed that the new option is much more affordable, saying the change will significantly impact her monthly budget.
“So this is going to save me probably upwards of 400 or more,” Gates told local media. “So I see this as a huge blessing … huge blessing!”
Gates had a shingles infection in her ear in 2017 that resulted in Ramsy Hunt syndrome, a condition that causes her constant pain and has left half of her face paralyzed. Before beginning treatment with medicinal cannabis oil and tablets two years ago, she was taking 18 daily prescriptions. Cannabis is much more effective, but a full month’s supply cost $800, an amount unaffordable for Gates. As a result, she often had to make do with less.
“This particular chemical has literally saved my life every day since June of 2019 when I was certified on the registry,” said Gates.
“This is really exciting for cannabis patients,” she added. “I’m not even kidding—this is, like, huge!”