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Opioid Use Disorder and cannabis in Minnesota

The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.

Not on the qualifying list
✗ No
LEGAL
30-day supply as certif…
POSSESSION
$40/yr
STATE FEE
7–30 d
TIMELINE
Not on the qualifying list. The state currently does not list this condition as qualifying, and the program does not provide open-ended physician discretion to add conditions. Verify with the state regulator, because programs change.

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 Opioid Use Disorder

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic, relapsing condition characterized by compulsive opioid use, opioid tolerance and withdrawal, and continued use despite significant harm. Three evidence-based pharmacotherapies are collectively known as Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD): methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone. MOUD reduces mortality, illicit drug use, and overdose risk.

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

How to qualify in Minnesota

The Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program requires the following registration steps for a Opioid Use Disorder 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 Opioid Use Disorder for the Minnesota medical cannabis program will typically record ICD-10 F11.20 or SNOMED-CT 5602001 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 Opioid Use Disorder as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis?

No. Minnesota's qualifying-condition list does not currently include Opioid Use Disorder, and the state's program does not give physicians open-ended discretion to add conditions outside the list. Patients with Opioid Use Disorder in Minnesota have limited in-state pathways under the medical program as written. Options to verify and pursue include: petitioning the state regulator to add the condition (where the statute permits public petitions); consulting a physician about whether a co-occurring listed condition could support certification; or reviewing whether the state's program is undergoing legislative expansion. Minnesota program rules change, so verify the current list with the regulator before drawing a final conclusion.

How do I get a Minnesota medical marijuana card for Opioid Use Disorder?

Because Minnesota does not currently list Opioid Use Disorder as a qualifying condition, a card for Opioid Use Disorder alone may not be obtainable in-state under the program rules as written. Step one is finding a physician licensed in Minnesota who is registered with Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program and willing to evaluate Opioid Use Disorder 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 Opioid Use Disorder?

For Opioid Use Disorder, evidence is described as insufficient (no high-quality controlled data is available either for or against). The mmjnow condition page for Opioid Use Disorder 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 Opioid Use Disorder should review the underlying evidence (linked on the condition page) and discuss expected benefit, dosing, and risk with a clinician familiar with both Opioid Use Disorder and cannabinoid pharmacology. Cannabis is not a substitute for evidence-based first-line treatments for Opioid Use Disorder; 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. SAMHSA: Medications for Opioid Use Disorderaccessed May 15, 2026
  5. NIH National Institute on Drug Abuse: Opioid Use Disorderaccessed May 15, 2026