No, participation in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program does not give you permission to grow your own cannabis plants.

We are always happy to help! Most questions can be answered over the phone or via email. There is no additional charge. In rare cases, we may ask you to come in for an in-person evaluation.

You DO NOT have to be terminally ill to qualify for medical marijuana.  MN’s Medical Cannabis Program includes chronic pain, autism, PTSD, sleep apnea and several other diagnoses on its list of qualifying medical conditions.

No, you can use any combination of product types.

Most likely not true!  There are a lot of misconceptions in the medical community regarding qualifications and requirements for certification.  This confusion is because doctors are not educated about medical cannabis in medical school or residency.

There are several reasons. First, Minnesota law does not allow MN’s Medical Cannabis Program to release the names of certifying physicians. The fear is that too many people will contact us and try to get certified for non-medical reasons. Second, there aren’t many doctors doing the certifications. Third, most doctors work for large corporations that do not allow them to certify patients.

Our certification takes an hour.  Then you have to complete your online registration for MN’s Medical Cannabis Program and make an appointment at a medical marijuana dispensary.  The entire process can take as little as one week, if your schedule is flexible.

No.  Your dispensary pharmacist will advise you to continue taking your current medications.  If you want to stop or decrease your current medications, you should work with your primary care doctor to do so.

Addictions do not affect your ability to qualify for Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Program.

No.  Over-the-counter CBD products sold in gas stations and strip malls are different. The manufacturers are not regulated and the products are not subject to purity standards. The CBD is usually derived from hemp, a cousin of marijuana, and is so diluted there is only a trace amount. Minnesota’s medical marijuana is sold by two companies, Green Goods and RISE. Both have multiple dispensary locations called Cannabis Patient Centers. Their whole-plant, full-spectrum cannabis medications contain pure, consistent and predictable amounts of THC and CBD.

No.  You only need to be certified and registered in MN’s Medical Cannabis Program.  When you go to a dispensary, the pharmacist will confirm that you are in the Program’s database and recommend options specific to your condition and goals.  What you purchase, however, is entirely up to you.  You are in control of what you purchase and how much you take because you know yourself better than anyone else.

No.  Street or recreational marijuana is still illegal in Minnesota.  You have to be a certified, registered patient in MN’s Medical Cannabis Program to purchase, possess and use medical cannabis from authorized Cannabis Patient Centers (dispensaries).  The cannabis products in dispensaries are safe because they contain pure, consistent and predictable amounts of THC and CBD.

Your certification for the MN Medical Cannabis Program is confidential.  We do not share your information with anyone else, including current or prospective employers.  You do not have to tell your employer you are a registered patient in the program, however, you may test positive for cannabis components or metabolites if you take a drug test.  If your employer finds out, you are protected by Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research Act.  It prohibits employers from penalizing you as long as you are not impaired by, using or possessing medical cannabis at work.

Yes.  Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research Act provides civil and criminal protections for patients and designated caregivers registered in MN’s Medical Cannabis Program.  The protections prohibit discrimination in school, leasing, medical care, employment or child custody/visitation matters as long as patients are using and possessing medical cannabis properly.

Designated caregivers are allowed to purchase, transport and administer medical cannabis to patients in need of extra help.  Dr. Johnson can designate a caregiver at the time of certification.  Parents, legal guardians and spouses can be caregivers as long as their name(s) appear in the patient’s online registry.  Other people can be caregivers too, but they have to formally register and pass a criminal background check.  See the details here.