Registered designated caregivers provisions modifications and increasing patient and cannabis plant limits expansion provision

A bill for an act

relating to commerce; modifying provisions for registered designated caregivers;

increasing patient and cannabis plant limits; amending Minnesota Statutes 2024,

section 342.09, by adding a subdivision; Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement,

section 342.52, subdivision 9.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 342.09, is amended by adding a subdivision

to read:

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Subd. 2a.

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Cultivation by registered designated caregiver.

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(a) Notwithstanding any

law to the contrary, a registered designated caregiver approved to assist patients enrolled

in the registry program may cultivate cannabis plants on behalf of up to eight registered

patients.

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(b) A registered designated caregiver may cultivate up to 12 cannabis plants per registered

patient, with no more than six plants per patient being mature or flowering at one time.

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(c) Cannabis cultivated under this subdivision must:

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(1) be maintained in an enclosed, locked space;

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(2) not be visible from a public place; and

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(3) be used solely for the registered patients assigned to the caregiver.

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(d) If a patient assigns cultivation rights to a registered designated caregiver under this

subdivision, the patient must not simultaneously cultivate cannabis plants for personal

medical use.

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Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2025 Supplement, section 342.52, subdivision 9, is amended

to read:

Subd. 9.

Registered designated caregiver.

(a) The office must register a designated

caregiver for a patient if the patient requires assistance in administering medical cannabis

flower or medical cannabinoid products; obtaining medical cannabis flower, medical

cannabinoid products, or medical cannabis paraphernalia from a cannabis business with a

medical cannabis retail endorsement; or cultivating cannabis plants as permitted by section

342.09, subdivision 2
.

(b) In order to serve as a designated caregiver, a person must:

(1) be at least 18 years of age;

(2) agree to only possess the patient's medical cannabis flower and medical cannabinoid

products for purposes of assisting the patient; and

(3) agree that if the application is approved, the person will not serve as a registered

designated caregiver for more than
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six
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eight
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registered patients at one time. Patients who

reside in the same residence count as one patient.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent a registered designated caregiver

from being enrolled in the registry program as a patient and possessing and administering

medical cannabis flower or medical cannabinoid products as a patient.

(d) Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, a registered designated caregiver approved

to assist a patient enrolled in the registry program with obtaining medical cannabis flower

may cultivate cannabis plants on behalf of one patient. A registered designated caregiver

may grow up to eight cannabis plants for the patient household that the registered designated

caregiver is approved to assist with obtaining medical cannabis flower. If a patient enrolled

in the registry program directs the patient's registered designated caregiver to cultivate

cannabis plants on behalf of the patient, the patient must assign the patient's right to cultivate

cannabis plants to the registered designated caregiver and notify the office. A patient who

assigns the patient's right to cultivate cannabis plants to a registered caregiver is prohibited

from cultivating cannabis plants for personal use. Nothing in this paragraph limits the right

of a registered designated caregiver cultivating cannabis plants on behalf of a patient enrolled

in the registry program to also cultivate cannabis plants for personal use pursuant to section

342.09, subdivision 2
.