What Minnesota Has Learned About Cost, Side Effects Of Medical Marijuana

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – The state of Minnesota went through a political battle similar to Utah’s over medical marijuana. The Minnesota legislature finally settled on compromise law that has been accepted by most of the combatants, but that doesn’t mean there haven’t been problems.

As Utah’s legislature grapples with the issue in an upcoming special session, Minnesota’s experience may provide some helpful lessons.

For one thing, there are many satisfied users in Minnesota. Katie Kennedy, for example, buys medical cannabis for her son, Tyler, because she believes it subdues symptoms of his autism and Tourette syndrome.

“We want our son to have joy,” Kennedy said. “And he has joy every day. His personality is shining more and more all the time.”

Kim Kelsey buys it to control her son Alec’s seizures. She said his condition now is “500 percent better than it was” but his vials of CBD oil cost plenty. “Per month, it’s $707,” she said in a recent interview.

Cost factors

“The cost is absolutely a problem,” said Dr. Tom Arneson of the Minnesota Department of Health Office of Medical Cannabis. “Insurance doesn’t pay for this, and it costs people usually at least $100, maybe up to $1,000 per month.”

The high cost may be part of the reason the use of medical marijuana seems relatively low. In a state with a population around five million, less than 12,000 people in Minnesota regularly use it.

“Yeah, I think the cost is definitely a big factor in keeping the use down,” said Maren Schroeder, co-founder of a pro-marijuana group called Sensible Minnesota. She blames the details of Minnesota’s medical marijuana law – widely considered the strictest in the nation. She says the law makes the medicine hard to get because, in a big state, only eight dispensaries are allowed.

“I think politics got in the way of patient access,” Schroeder said.

There are competing theories about what pushed costs so high. Schroeder believes it’s because only two companies are allowed to grow, process and sell medical marijuana products so there isn’t enough competition. But the CEO of Minnesota Medical Solutions says the company hasn’t even turned a profit yet.

“There are high processing costs for us,” said Dr. Jay Westwater, the company’s CEO.

The two companies are required to refine the weed into oils, liquids and pills, with careful testing. No plant material can be sold or smoked. It’s a delicate political compromise to satisfy those who worried marijuana would get abused and find its way to the streets.

“I don’t think the real experts would say that there’s actually a health benefit to smoking the vegetative marijuana,” said Andy Bohlen, the police chief in Faribault, Minnesota who chairs Minnesota’s Violent Crime Coordinating Council.

Possible side effects

Another problem is that a minority of medical users report dizziness, nausea and other unpleasant side effects.

“They’re usually pretty mild to moderate severity,” Arneson said. “But sometimes they’re bad enough that people discontinue because of the side effects.”

In state surveys of certified users, a few patients do report feeling “high” or “stoned,” but that doesn’t seem to be the case for Alec Kelsey.

“He’s not high,” said his mother, who believes medical cannabis is worth every penny. “You can’t get high on the product that he’s on. It’s healing his brain. It’s giving him quality of life.”

This is the second in a three-part series exploring lessons learned on medical marijuana from other states.

PART 1: What Utah Can Expect From Medical Marijuana, Through The Lens Of Minnesota’s Experience

PART 3: From Medical To Recreational: Lessons From Minnesota And Colorado In Marijuana Debate