Allowing raw cannabis could help state's budding medical program cut cost, increase access

Before Minnesota implemented its medical cannabis program, Erin Chase spent days in bed, so nauseated and in so much pain she was unable to work or go to school.

“This program has been a lifeline for me,” she told the House Health and Human Services Policy Committee Tuesday night.

But it’s so expensive, she often has to choose between paying her student loans and getting the care she needs, Chase said.

Participation is cost prohibitive for many qualified people, but allowing program participants to use the raw cannabis plant would significantly improve access by cutting costs, said Rep. Heather Edelson (DFL-Edina).

She sponsors HF3485, which would modify the state’s medical cannabis program to let patients use raw cannabis.

The bill was approved as amended by the committee and sent to the House Health and Human Services Finance Division. There is no Senate companion.

Rep. Heather Edelson

Patient costs would be halved if they were allowed to switch to the raw cannabis from more processed products, said Dr. Kyle Kingsley, CEO of Vireo Health and Minnesota Medical Solutions, one of the state program’s two providers.

Increased program participation — tied to lower costs — could lower the price of other cannabis products, as well, due to a more even distribution of costs, he said.

Smoking or vaporizing the plant is not tied to lung cancer the way tobacco is, though other forms are recommended for patients with pulmonary illness, Kingsley said.

By improving access, qualified patients would not feel compelled to purchase the raw cannabis illicitly and risk exposure to contamination or impurities. The cannabis would go through the same safety and potency testing as approved medical cannabis products, be tracked the same way, and be accompanied by the same patient consultations, he said.

Access to the program not only gives people with chronic pain the ability to live their lives, it also allows patients to avoid life-threatening opioid addictions and protects their families and communities by limiting access to opiates, said Joan Barron, a participant in the program whose son died of an overdose in 2014.

“We need raw [cannabis] added. This is the only way we will reduce costs and all of you know that,” she said.

The smoking and vaporization of cannabis would fall under the Minnesota Clean Indoor Air Act, which was expanded to include “activated electronic delivery devices” last year, Edelson said in response to a testifier’s concern over increased exposure to the smell, which she said makes her sick.

Rep. Rena Moran (DFL-St. Paul) reminded committee members that they should focus on patient care first and foremost.

“We talk often about access to affordable health care. Medical marijuana is part of health care. People are in extreme pain and this is a pathway to help … and make it affordable,” she said.

Eligibility

Under current law, cancer patients and people who are terminally ill may only participate in the program if those illnesses – or their treatment – cause severe or chronic pain, nausea or severe vomiting, or severe wasting.

HF3485 would also make any patient with cancer or a terminal illness eligible for participation – regardless of their particular symptoms.

Amendments

The amendment adopted Tuesday night removed language allowing cannabis manufacturers to deliver products to patients and caregivers.

That portion of the bill was not ready yet, Edelson said.

Additional amendments are expected to be offered in the bill’s next committee stop, including language requiring patients to be at least 21 years old to vaporize or smoke the raw plant, and a clarification that people cannot drive while under the influence.