State Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger
Allowing patients with intractable pain to use medical marijuana remains a controversial issue in Minnesota, as Tuesday’s meeting of a special task force demonstrated. Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom told the panel the potential for abuse is significant, because doctors don’t have an objective way to determine how much pain a patient is in. State Health Commissioner, Doctor Ed Ehlinger responded leaf marijuana, which has created problems in other states, is not available in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program. Ehlinger adds he’s recommending the state consider adding cannabis to its Prescription Drug Monitoring Program. Ehlinger decided to add intractable pain to the list of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis beginning next summer, but the legislature has the option of overriding him in the 2016 session.