Good news: As if you needed one more reason to get a Minnesota Marijuana Card, dispensaries are about to have a whole new (and more affordable) variety of medical marijuana to offer Minnesotans soon: marijuana in flower form.
Marijuana Flower in Minnesota: The date to watch is March 1, 2022
For those awaiting the arrival of flower to Minnesota’s medical marijuana dispensaries, the date to watch is March 1, 2022.
The legalization of marijuana flower was part of an Omnibus Health and Human Services bill covering a lot of issues. According to the language of the part of the law dealing with this new option in medical marijuana, the new law will take effect no later than that 3/1/22 date.
By that point, the Commissioner of Health must have finalized the details of the Department of Health’s oversight of marijuana flower, from its cultivation to its distribution and finally retail sales.
If the Commissioner of Health determines sometime before 3/1/22 that 1) the Department of Health is ready to oversee the marijuana flower market and 2) adequate protocols and procedures are in place to assure quality control for marijuana flower, then the Commissioner is to publicly announce an earlier start date for the sale of marijuana flower.
So by March 1, 2022, at the latest, marijuana flower will be available here.
Why The Arrival of Medical Marijuana Flower in Minnesota is Such a Big Deal
On May 25, Governor Tim Walz signed the legislation that legalized the sale of marijuana in flower form to patients with a Minnesota Marijuana Card.
Some in the State Senate had opposed the law, arguing that it was an attempt at de facto recreational legalization, but ultimately the Legislature passed the bill out of compassion for Minnesotans who have found themselves unable to afford the relief of medical marijuana.
Marijuana in flower form can cost as much as 50% less than the marijuana in the processed forms that were previously the only forms of the medicine available under the Minnesota Medical Marijuana Act. Lowered cost to produce means lower cost to purchase, which means more savings for you and other medical marijuana patients.
And that lowered cost of production should mean lower costs to purchase. Those lowered prices could in turn encourage more Minnesotans to get their Marijuana Cards, thereby increasing the customer base and driving prices down even further.
"The biggest short-term effect is that you have these new very affordable products in the form of flower that are coming in," Dr. Kyle Kingsley, the CEO of Green Goods, told KARE 11, Minneapolis’ NBC affiliate.
Green Goods is one of the two companies licensed to produce and dispense medical marijuana in the state.
Kingsley told KARE that he thinks flower products will be more affordable, driving up enrollment in Minnesota's medical cannabis program and driving down costs even further over time for all medical marijuana products.
"With flower you can generally get close to the same medicine, or even the same exact medication in some circumstances for around half the price," Kingsley told KARE. "Minnesota’s been very demand-limited, very few patients per capita, and that change is going to allow operators to scale up and drive down pricing."
So Flower is Legal, And I’ll be Able to Buy in March 1, 2022, but How Much Can I Buy?
Under the Minnesota Medical Marijuana Act, patients could purchase and possess a 30-day supply of medical marijuana. But the Omnibus Health and Human Services Bill that has legalized marijuana in flower form also expanded that amount to a 90-day supply.
And how much is a 90-day supply? Unfortunately, we cannot answer that for you, because it depends on your specific prescription. You’ll need to talk to a doctor or pharmacist to determine exactly how much you’ll be able to purchase.
But however much flower you’ll be able to purchase, you’ll be able to buy more medicine overall that you were before the passage of the Omnibus bill, and it’ll be cheaper. As seems to be true in so many states with medical marijuana programs, the longer that people and politicians have to get used to their new medical marijuana markets, the more they like them, and the more they expand them.
There Has Never been a Better Time to Get a Minnesota Marijuana Card
As the recent legislation legalizing medical marijuana in flower form and the expansion of maximum purchase amounts shows, Minnesotans have liked what they’ve seen so far from medical marijuana. If you haven’t gotten your card yet, why delay? Find out for yourself why medical marijuana has gotten so popular, so fast.
Reserve an evaluation with one of our experienced, knowledgeable doctors today, and we’ll make an appointment for you just as soon as we’re cleared to see patients.
You’ll meet with your new doctor virtually via your computer or smartphone in a telemedicine appointment. From the safety and convenience of your own home, you’ll discuss your condition and options with your new doctor, deciding together if medical marijuana is right for you. And you’ll also save $25 off the cost of your evaluation!