Medical marijuana study passes House

Medical marijuana has helped children in other states who have lost the ability to walk and talk to regain their childhood, said Rep. Carly Melin (DFL-Hibbing).

She sponsors SF2470, which, as amended, would authorize a medical marijuana observational study and establish regulations for implementing the study, including a patient registry program overseen by the Department of Health.

“These families can’t wait another year,” Melin said Friday on the House Floor. “They need relief now, which is why it’s time to move forward with a medical marijuana bill that can be signed into law, and it can provide relief for suffering Minnesotans.”

[Watch the full video archive of Friday's floor session here]

The House passed the bill 86-39 — one week after it had its first hearing in the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. The bill heads now to the Senate.

“I know that some of you wish this bill would include more qualifying conditions or be more expansive and frankly, so do I,” Melin said. “But it is important that we do not shut down the opportunity to help thousands of Minnesotans in pursuit of legislation that will not become law this session. This bill is a compromise.”

Melin offered a medical marijuana bill, HF1818, earlier this session that would have legalized the treatment and opened over 50 dispensaries across the state. The House Health and Human Services Policy Committee approved the bill before it became bogged down in opposition from the governor, law enforcement and some medical organizations. Its Senate companion, SF1641, passed the Senate 48-18 May 6.

The speed with which SF2470 moved through the House — it had just two committee stops and one informational hearing — caused some representatives to question the quality of the bill.

“We only had an informational hearing with the true committees that should be looking at this issue in greater detail,” said Rep. Sarah Anderson (R-Plymouth). “This is why the process for this bill has been completely backwards because if we’re truly going to get to the heart of this issue and do good legislative work, we need to be thoughtful. We’re not talking about just changing what our state bird is. We’re talking about huge significant policy for the state of Minnesota.”

Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) echoed the concerns and unsuccessfully offered a delete-all amendment that would have inserted the language of the Senate bill. The Senate, Garofalo said, has vetted the bill through the committee process. As opposed to Melin’s bill, Garofalo also said, the Senate bill would help more people, save the state money and allow for multiple medical marijuana manufacturers.

Gaining support for the measure

Law enforcement and some members of the medical community do not support the Senate bill, House Majority Leader Erin Murphy (DFL-St. Paul) said, but they do support or are neutral on Melin’s bill. Under previous administrations, the Legislature has twice passed a more expansive medical marijuana bill and both times it earned a veto, Murphy explained.

“I do think it is Rep. Melin’s bill that has the greatest opportunity for passage into law, and therefore, the greatest opportunity to help Minnesotans with severe, debilitating conditions, especially the kids who are with us today,” she said.

The House did approve some amendments:

• Murphy offered amendments that would allow the one state medical marijuana manufacturer permitted under the bill to operate up to two distribution centers that would adhere to the same regulations as the main facility. The distribution center locations would need approval from the Department of Health and could not produce medical marijuana.
• Amendments from Anderson would add school vans and child care facilities as places where the use and possession of medical marijuana would be prohibited, and it would require the department to maintain records of illegal use and overdoses on medical marijuana.
• Rep. Kim Norton (DFL-Rochester) amended the bill to require the department to report to the task force created under the bill changes in federal regulations of medical marijuana.
• An amendment by Rep. Rick Hansen (DFL-South St. Paul) would require the department to consider adding intractable pain to the list of medical conditions that would qualify patients for the medical marijuana study.