Minnesota Agencies

This panel was created to review requests to add qualifying medical conditions and report to the commissioner of health on public health impacts, including therapeutic factors and known potential risks of the proposed additional medical conditions.

The Medical Cannabis Review Panel must submit a written report to the commissioner by November 1 after conducting the public meetings. The written report must include potential public health benefits and risks of adding or rejecting the proposed qualifying medical condition.

According to Minnesota Administrative Rules, after reviewing the Medical Cannabis Review Panel's report, the commissioner of health must render a decision by December 1 and must either approve a requested condition addition, or reject it. The commissioner must both communicate the reasons for his or her decision to the requesting party and must publish the decision on the medical cannabis website by December 1.

Further, the commissioner must forward a newly approved qualifying medical condition to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative policy committees having jurisdiction over health and public safety by January 15 as required by Minnesota Statutes, section 152.27, subdivision 2. If the legislature does not provide otherwise by law, the commissioner must publish the newly approved qualifying medical condition in the State Register and on the department's medical cannabis Web site before its August 1 effective date.

In 2016, "intractable pain" was added to the list of qualifying conditions for participation in Minnesota's Medical Cannabis Program. The Medical Cannabis Intractable Pain Advisory Panel was convened to make that determination.

Starting in 2016, the Medical Cannabis Review Panel now hears all petitions for, and takes public comment on, any condition being brought forward to be added to the list of qualifying conditions for participation in the program. The department accepts petitions from June 1 to July 31 each year. Petitions received outside this window will not be considered. 

As new conditions are added to the list of qualifying medical conditions, they are posted on the Office of Medical Cannabis' website.

Seven members including: one medical cannabis patient advocate, as defined; one health care practitioner, as defined; one health care practitioner with expertise in pediatric medicine; and four at-large members.