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Cancer and cannabis in Minnesota

The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Listed qualifying condition
✓ Yes
LEGAL
30-day supply as certif…
POSSESSION
$40/yr
STATE FEE
7–30 d
TIMELINE
Listed qualifying condition. The state explicitly lists this condition under its medical cannabis program. A certifying physician can pursue state registration for a patient with this diagnosis under the program rules.

Minnesota statute and program

The Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program is the operating authority for Minnesota patient certification. The authoritative legal text is: Minnesota Statutes Chapter 342: Cannabis Regulation (HF 100 of 2023).

What the evidence says about cannabis and Cancer

Cancer is a group of more than 100 diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Treatment commonly combines surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and increasingly targeted or immunotherapeutic agents. Symptom burden (pain, nausea, appetite loss, sleep disruption, anxiety) is substantial and often persists beyond active treatment.

For the full evidence base, including the NASEM tier, randomized trial summaries, and symptom-domain breakdown, read the mmjnow Cancer page.

How to qualify in Minnesota

The Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program requires the following registration steps for a Cancer patient (or any qualifying diagnosis):

  1. Get a written certification from a Minnesota-licensed practitioner. Under Minn. Stat. §152.22 et seq. (the Medical Cannabis Therapeutic Research Act of 2014, expanded under the 2023 cannabis reform), any Minnesota-licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant authorized to prescribe controlled substances may certify a patient. Qualifying conditions include cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, ALS, MS, seizures, intractable pain, IBD, autism spectrum, obstructive sleep apnea, terminal illness, PTSD, sickle-cell disease, Alzheimer’s, and others under §152.22(14).
  2. Apply through the Office of Cannabis Management portal. The certifying practitioner submits the written certification electronically to the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). The patient then completes the online patient enrollment with a Minnesota driver license or state ID, a passport-style photograph, and proof of Minnesota residency.
  3. Pay the $40 state enrollment fee (or $20 reduced fee). The annual Minnesota medical cannabis patient enrollment fee is $40, reduced to $20 for patients enrolled in MinnesotaCare, MA, SSI, or SSDI. The fee covers both the patient and any designated caregivers. Patients receive a digital patient enrollment confirmation through the OCM portal.
  4. Purchase from a Minnesota medical cannabis distribution location. With the OCM patient enrollment confirmation and a Minnesota ID, patients may purchase from any of the licensed Minnesota medical cannabis distribution locations (operated by the two medical cannabis manufacturers Vireo Health / Green Goods and LeafLine Labs / Rise). Permitted forms include flower (added 2022), capsules, tinctures, topicals, and vape products. Adult-use retail is expected to launch in late 2025 under the 2023 reform; medical patients retain reduced taxation and prioritized inventory.
State registration fee
$40
Physician visit (typical)
$150–$300
Certification to card
7–30 days
Out-of-state patients
Not eligible
Minors
Eligible with caregiver

For full Minnesota registration steps, fees, and reciprocity rules, see the Minnesota cannabis-laws page.

ICD-10 code

A certifying physician documenting Cancer for the Minnesota medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 C80.1 or SNOMED-CT 363346000 in the patient's record. The state registry does not itself collect ICD-10 codes in most programs, but the physician's chart is the audit trail if the certification is later reviewed.

Frequently asked questions

Does Minnesota list Cancer as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

Yes. Minnesota explicitly lists Cancer as a qualifying condition under Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program. A patient with a documented Cancer diagnosis can pursue state-program certification with a physician registered in the state. The qualifying-condition list is set by state statute or regulation and may change. Inclusion on the list does not guarantee certification — a physician still has to evaluate the patient and decide that medical cannabis is appropriate for that specific case under Minnesota rules.

How do I get a Minnesota medical marijuana card for Cancer?

Step one is finding a physician licensed in Minnesota who is registered with Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program and willing to evaluate Cancer cases. Step two is collecting your records (diagnosis documentation, treatment history, and the ICD-10 code your physician will use) and bringing them to the certification visit. Step three is the physician's certification through the state registry, followed by the patient registration application, state fee, and waiting period before the card is issued. Minnesota does not honor out-of-state cards, so the certification process has to originate inside the state. Verify the patient minimum age with the state program before applying. Confirm the current process with the state regulator before applying, because the rules change.

What does the evidence say about cannabis for Cancer?

For Cancer, evidence is described as moderate (supportive controlled studies exist but the picture is mixed). The mmjnow condition page for Cancer lays out the current evidence base, including the citations underlying that evidence tier — typically the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine consensus reports, federal agency guidance, and peer-reviewed reviews. Evidence quality is independent of state law: a state can list a condition for which evidence is limited, and a state can decline to list a condition for which evidence is strong. Patients deciding whether to pursue medical cannabis for Cancer should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Cancer and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Cancer; the evidence position above describes whether trial data supports its use, not whether it should replace standard care.

Sources

  1. Minnesota Statutes Chapter 342: Cannabis Regulation (HF 100 of 2023)accessed May 15, 2026
  2. Minnesota Office of Cannabis Managementaccessed May 15, 2026
  3. NORML: Minnesota Lawsaccessed May 15, 2026
  4. NASEM: The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids (2017)accessed May 15, 2026

    “Conclusive or substantial evidence that oral cannabinoids are effective antiemetics in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting.”

  5. NIH National Cancer Institute: Cannabis and Cannabinoids (PDQ)accessed May 15, 2026