Yvette Higgins

Report for Minnesota

As Minnesota appears poised to issue licenses to retailers to legally sell marijuana, some lawmakers are proposing changing cannabis regulations to improve access to medical marijuana and strengthen communication with Native American tribes. 

A bill by Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, to increase patient access to medical marijuana cleared the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee last week, and a companion bill also cleared a House committee. 

Doctors prescribe medical marijuana for Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, chronic pain, post-traumatic stress disorder, and more, according to the Mayo Clinic.  

Medical marijuana has been legal in Minnesota since 2014. It is available to people 18 and older with the approval of a physician, and it is not subject to some of the taxes that will be levied on sales of recreational marijuana. 

Dibble’s bill would require medical cannabis programs to offer virtual visits so that patients who live far from dispensaries can receive care, according to Eric Taubel, interim director of the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The bill would also increase patient protection by forbidding schools and landlords to refuse enrollment or housing to an individual due to use of medical marajuana. 

Tribal programs that sell medical marijuana would also be covered by the bill. 

Jim Walker, public information officer for OCM, said in an email that tribal medical patients will continue to be able to access medical cannabis through the state program, which is the status quo. 

“The goal is to prevent disruption to any tribal medical patients utilizing this reciprocity in access to medical products they need,” Walker said. 

In 2023, the Legislature passed a law that allows people 21 and older to possess limited amounts of cannabis for recreational use. The law also allows for retail sales of marijuana, but the process for issuing retail licenses has been slow. 

Earlier this month the OCM closed a window for accepting license applications from retailers who want to sell recreational marijuana, but as of yet no licenses have been issued. A further complication is that no licenses have been issued for people to legally grow commercial cannabis. 

Tribal nations have their own regulations regarding cannabis sales, according to the OCM. Five of the state’s 11 tribes have begun retail sales on their reservations, and Gov. Tim Walz is negotiating with tribal leaders on compacts that would allow tribes to open cannabis dispensaries in locations off their reservations.

Dibble said in an interview the proposed changes are important as the adult use marijuana market accompanies the existing medical marajuana market. 

“It seems like a technical change, but it’s an important change,” Dibble said. 

Another bill by Dibble would turn the Office of Cannabis Management into an official agency, allowing the office to attend the Minnesota Leaders Council Table where tribal and state governments meet. 

The OCM’s Walker said the conversations will address overlapping issues with tribal nations, including medical programs, grant programs, and information for consumers and constituents on rights. 

“When state agencies and offices engage with Tribes, policies and programs are more likely to be tailored to meet the needs of all Minnesotans,” Walker said. 

Eric Pehle, media contact for the Prairie Island Indian Community, said in an email the tribe has a productive relationship with the state. 

“We look forward to finalizing terms so that Tribal cannabis operations, including ours at Prairie Island, can further support the State’s legal cannabis market,” Pehle wrote. 

Report for Minnesota is a project of the University of Minnesota’s Hubbard School of Journalism and Mass Communication to support local news in all areas of the state.