Dispensaries

A dispensary is an institution, authorized by law, which dispenses medical marijuana to qualifying patients or primary caregivers.

The state medical cannabis law, however, does not provide for the establishment and operation of dispensaries. What the law prescribes are medical cannabis manufacturers (MCMs), which are licensed and registered by the Department (Minnesota Department of Health or “MDH”) to grow, cultivate, acquire, supply, and dispense medical marijuana and related devices to qualifying patients and designated caregivers.

Other than the site or address where cultivation, harvesting, and processing are being done, manufacturers can also operate four distribution facilities which sell, distribute, and dispense medical cannabis to registered patients or caregivers. A manufacturer is required to start distribution of medical cannabis from at least one distribution center by July 1, 2015. The Department shall determine the number and the locations of manufacturers convenient for the patients registered in the program.

Visiting a Manufacturer or Distribution Facility

A qualifying patient or the designated caregiver may visit any of the medical manufacturers/distribution facilities nearest to his location. Prior to the distribution or release of medical cannabis, the manufacturer shall:

• Receive and verify the registry identification card for that individual patient or caregiver;
• Verify that the person requesting to obtain medical cannabis is the patient, the designated caregiver, or the patient’s parents/legal guardian as indicated on the registry card;
• Assign a tracking number to any medical cannabis distributed;
• Make sure that the medical cannabis provided consists of a maximum thirty-day supply of the dosage as previously determined by the
• Department (Minnesota Department of Health or “MDH”) for the qualifying patient.

Starting a Manufacturer or Distribution Facility

An applicant or entity submitting a Request for Application for the Registration of the Medical Cannabis Manufacturer (RFA) shall pay the Department a non-refundable application fee of $ 20,000. As a condition for registration, a manufacturer must agree to perform the following:

• Begin supplying medical cannabis to patients by July 1, 2015;
• Comply with all requirements including, but not limited, to security and distribution requirements.
• Factors to be considered by the Department in determining which manufacturer to register are the following:
• Technical expertise in cultivating medical cannabis;
• Qualifications of the manufacturer’s employees;
• Long-term financial stability of the manufacturer;
• Ability to provide appropriate on-site security measures;
• Demonstration of an ability to meet the medical cannabis production needs; and
• Projection and on-going assessment of fees on qualifying patients.