2016 Minnesota Statutes

152.25 COMMISSIONER DUTIES.

Subdivision 1.Medical cannabis manufacturer registration.

(a) The commissioner shall register two in-state manufacturers for the production of all medical cannabis within the state by December 1, 2014, unless the commissioner obtains an adequate supply of federally sourced medical cannabis by August 1, 2014. The commissioner shall register new manufacturers or reregister the existing manufacturers by December 1 every two years, using the factors described in paragraph (c). The commissioner shall continue to accept applications after December 1, 2014, if two manufacturers that meet the qualifications set forth in this subdivision do not apply before December 1, 2014. The commissioner's determination that no manufacturer exists to fulfill the duties under sections 152.22 to 152.37 is subject to judicial review in Ramsey County District Court. Data submitted during the application process are private data on individuals or nonpublic data as defined in section 13.02 until the manufacturer is registered under this section. Data on a manufacturer that is registered are public data, unless the data are trade secret or security information under section 13.37.

(b) As a condition for registration, a manufacturer must agree to:

(1) begin supplying medical cannabis to patients by July 1, 2015; and

(2) comply with all requirements under sections 152.22 to 152.37.

(c) The commissioner shall consider the following factors when determining which manufacturer to register:

(1) the technical expertise of the manufacturer in cultivating medical cannabis and converting the medical cannabis into an acceptable delivery method under section 152.22, subdivision 6;

(2) the qualifications of the manufacturer's employees;

(3) the long-term financial stability of the manufacturer;

(4) the ability to provide appropriate security measures on the premises of the manufacturer;

(5) whether the manufacturer has demonstrated an ability to meet the medical cannabis production needs required by sections 152.22 to 152.37; and

(6) the manufacturer's projection and ongoing assessment of fees on patients with a qualifying medical condition.

(d) The commissioner shall require each medical cannabis manufacturer to contract with an independent laboratory to test medical cannabis produced by the manufacturer. The commissioner shall approve the laboratory chosen by each manufacturer and require that the laboratory report testing results to the manufacturer in a manner determined by the commissioner.

Subd. 2.Range of compounds and dosages; report.

The commissioner shall review and publicly report the existing medical and scientific literature regarding the range of recommended dosages for each qualifying condition and the range of chemical compositions of any plant of the genus cannabis that will likely be medically beneficial for each of the qualifying medical conditions. The commissioner shall make this information available to patients with qualifying medical conditions beginning December 1, 2014, and update the information annually. The commissioner may consult with the independent laboratory under contract with the manufacturer or other experts in reporting the range of recommended dosages for each qualifying medical condition, the range of chemical compositions that will likely be medically beneficial, and any risks of noncannabis drug interactions. The commissioner shall consult with each manufacturer on an annual basis on medical cannabis offered by the manufacturer. The list of medical cannabis offered by a manufacturer shall be published on the Department of Health Web site.

Subd. 3.Deadlines.

The commissioner shall adopt rules necessary for the manufacturer to begin distribution of medical cannabis to patients under the registry program by July 1, 2015, and have notice of proposed rules published in the State Register prior to January 1, 2015.

Subd. 4.Reports.

(a) The commissioner shall provide regular updates to the task force and to the chairs and ranking minority members of the legislative committees with jurisdiction over health and human services, public safety, judiciary, and civil law on medical cannabis therapeutic research regarding any changes in federal law or regulatory restrictions regarding the use of medical cannabis.

(b) The commissioner may submit medical research based on the data collected under sections 152.22 to 152.37 to any federal agency with regulatory or enforcement authority over medical cannabis to demonstrate the effectiveness of medical cannabis for treating a qualifying medical condition.

History:

2014 c 311 s 5; 2015 c 74 s 3; 2016 c 179 s 28,29