Minnesota Lawmakers Approve Smokeable Medical Cannabis

Minnesota lawmakers passed a bill allowing people in the state's medical cannabis program to buy the smokeable flower portion of the plant.

KARE 11 reported bipartisan support from both the House and Senate during a vote to allow patients to buy the smokeable flower. The bill passed on Monday (May 16), and Governor Tim Walz is expected to sign it.

During a debate on the House floor, Representative Aisha Gomez told colleagues that those who want to use medical marijuana could not afford it because insurance plans do not cover it.

"This is about people who are suffering. This is about people who are in pain. This is about people who were taking massive amounts of opiates for intractable and chronic pain who can find some relief in this basically nonaddictive substance that doesn’t kill you like opioids do," added Rep. Gomez.

The product will not be available immediately. It could be until early 2022 for the smokeable flower to sell in Minnesota dispensaries.

Currently, Green Goods is one of two companies licensed to produce and dispense medical marijuana products in the state. They are only allowed to sell cannabis in liquid, pill topical, or vaporizing liquid form.

CEO Dr. Kyle Kingsley told KARE 11, "The biggest short-term effect is that you have these new, very affordable products in the form of flower that are coming in."

Kingsley predicts the new product will be more affordable, and with more people registering in the state's medical cannabis program, prices will go down for all other cannabis medicines.

The medical cannabis flower product will be grown, processed, tested, and regulated inside the state.

They are hoping to have it available no later than March of 2022.

Photo: Getty Images