Medical cannabis endorsement requirements modified.

A bill for an act

relating to cannabis; modifying requirements for the medical cannabis endorsement;

amending Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 342.51, subdivisions 1, 3; Minnesota

Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 342.51, subdivision 2.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 342.51, subdivision 1, is amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Endorsement; authorized actions.

(a) The office may issue a medical

cannabis endorsement to a cannabis business authorizing the business to:

(1) cultivate medical cannabis;

(2) process medical cannabinoid products; or

(3) sell or distribute medical cannabis flower and medical cannabinoid products to any

person authorized to receive medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid products.

(b) The office must issue a medical cannabis cultivation endorsement to a cannabis

license holder if the license holder:

(1) is authorized to cultivate cannabis;

(2) submits a medical cannabis endorsement application to the office; and

(3) otherwise meets all applicable requirements established by the office.

(c) A medical cannabis cultivation endorsement entitles the license holder to grow

cannabis plants within the approved amount of space from seed or immature plant to mature

plant, harvest cannabis flower from a mature plant, package and label cannabis flower as

medical cannabis flower, sell medical cannabis flower to cannabis businesses with a medical

cannabis endorsement, and perform other actions approved by the office.

(d) The office must issue a medical cannabis processor endorsement to a cannabis license

holder if the license holder:

(1) is authorized to manufacture cannabis products;

(2) submits a medical cannabis endorsement application to the office; and

(3) otherwise meets all applicable requirements established by the office.

(e) A medical cannabis processor endorsement entitles the license holder to:

(1) purchase medical cannabis flower, medical cannabinoid products, hemp plant parts,

and hemp concentrate from cannabis businesses with a medical cannabis cultivator

endorsement or a medical cannabis processor endorsement;

(2) purchase hemp plant parts from industrial hemp growers;

(3) make cannabis concentrate from medical cannabis flower;

(4) make hemp concentrate, including hemp concentrate with a delta-9

tetrahydrocannabinol concentration of more than 0.3 percent as measured by weight;

(5) manufacture medical cannabinoid products;

(6) package and label medical cannabinoid products for sale to cannabis businesses with

a medical cannabis processer endorsement or a medical cannabis retailer endorsement; and

(7) perform other actions approved by the office.

(f) The office must issue a medical cannabis retailer endorsement to a cannabis license

holder if the license holder:

(1) submits a medical cannabis retail endorsement application to the office;

(2)
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has at least one employee who earned
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identifies
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a medical cannabis consultant
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who

has a
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certificate issued by the office and has completed the required training or
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has at least

one employee who
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is a licensed pharmacist under chapter 151
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who the license holder employs

or contracts with to consult and provide final authorization for a person enrolled in the

registry program
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; and

(3) otherwise meets all applicable requirements established by the office.

(g) A medical cannabis retail endorsement entitles the license holder to purchase medical

cannabis flower and medical cannabinoid products from cannabis businesses with medical

cannabis cultivator endorsements and medical cannabis processor endorsements, and sell

or distribute medical cannabis flower, medical cannabinoid products, and associated

paraphernalia to any person authorized to receive medical cannabis flower or medical

cannabinoid products.

(h) A medical cannabis business with a medical cannabis retail endorsement must verify

that all medical cannabis flower and medical cannabinoid products have passed safety,

potency, and consistency testing at a cannabis testing facility approved by the office for the

testing of medical cannabis flower and medical cannabinoid products before the cannabis

business with a medical cannabis retail endorsement may distribute the medical cannabis

flower or medical cannabinoid product to any person enrolled in the registry program.

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 342.51, subdivision 2, is amended

to read:

Subd. 2.

Distribution requirements.

(a) Prior to distribution of medical cannabis flower

or medical cannabinoid products to a person enrolled in the registry program, an employee

of a cannabis business must:

(1) review and confirm the patient's enrollment in the registry program;

(2) verify that the person requesting the distribution of medical cannabis flower or

medical cannabinoid products is the patient, the patient's registered designated caregiver,

or the patient's parent, legal guardian, or spouse using the procedures established by the

office;

(3) confirm that the patient had a consultation with (i)
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an employee with a valid
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a
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medical

cannabis consultant
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who has a valid
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certificate issued by the office; or (ii)
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an employee who

is
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a licensed pharmacist under chapter 151 to determine the proper medical cannabis flower

or medical cannabinoid product, dosage, and paraphernalia for the patient if required under

subdivision 3;

(4) apply a patient-specific label on the medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid

product that includes recommended dosage requirements and other information as required

by the office; and

(5) provide the patient with any other information required by the office.

(b) A cannabis business with a medical cannabis retail endorsement may not deliver

medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid products to a person enrolled in the registry

program unless the cannabis business with a medical cannabis retail endorsement also holds

a cannabis delivery service license. The delivery of medical cannabis flower and medical

cannabinoid products are subject to the provisions of section
342.42
.

Sec. 3.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 342.51, subdivision 3, is amended to read:

Subd. 3.

Final approval for distribution of medical cannabis flower and medical

cannabinoid products.

(a)
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A cannabis worker who is employed by a cannabis business

with a medical cannabis retail endorsement who is licensed as a pharmacist pursuant to

chapter
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151
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or certified as a medical cannabis consultant by the office is the only person

who may give
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Final approval for the distribution of medical cannabis flower and medical

cannabinoid products
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. Prior to the distribution of medical cannabis flower or medical

cannabinoid products, a pharmacist or certified medical cannabis consultant employed by

the cannabis business with a medical cannabis retail endorsement must consult
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may only

be given by a licensed pharmacist under chapter 151 or a medical cannabis consultant who

has a certificate issued by the office after consultation
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with the patient to determine the

proper type of medical cannabis flower, medical cannabinoid product, or medical cannabis

paraphernalia, and the proper dosage for the patient after reviewing the range of chemical

compositions of medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid product intended for

distribution:

(1) if the patient is purchasing the medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid

product for the first time;

(2) if the patient purchases medical cannabis flower or a medical cannabinoid product

that the patient must administer using a different method than the patient's previous method

of administration;

(3) if the patient purchases medical cannabis flower or a medical cannabinoid product

with a cannabinoid concentration of at least double the patient's prior dosage; or

(4) upon the request of the patient.

(b) For purposes of this subdivision, a consultation may be conducted remotely by secure

videoconference, telephone, or other remote means, as long as:

(1) the pharmacist or consultant engaging in the consultation is able to confirm the

identity of the patient; and

(2) the consultation adheres to patient privacy requirements that apply to health care

services delivered through telemedicine.