MEMORANDUM

STATE OF MINNESOTA
BOARD OF PHARMACY
Date: February 28, 2014
To: Joanna Dornfiel
Offi!e of "o#ernor Mar$ Dayton
Fro%: &oy 'iber(, E)e!uti#e Dire!tor
Minne*ota +oar of ,-ar%a!y
Re: Mei!al Mari.uana Te!-ni!al A**i*tan!e
T-e Minne*ota +oar of ,-ar%a!y /+oar0 -a* ta$en no 1o*ition on 2F 181834F 15416
T-e +oar 7a* t7i!e 1etitione by ini#iual* to en(a(e in rule8%a$in( for t-e 1ur1o*e
of eit-er re%o#in( %ari.uana entirely fro% t-e *tate9* !ontrolle *ub*tan!e* *!-eule* or,
at a %ini%u%, %o#in( it fro% 4!-eule : to one of t-e ot-er *!-eule*6 T-e +oar enie
bot- 1etition*, 7-i!- 7ere re!ei#e in 2010 an 20116 :n !on*ierin( t-e 1etition*, t-e
+oar too$ no 1o*ition on t-e o#erall *!ientifi! %erit* /or la!$ t-ereof0 for t-e %ei!al
u*e of %ari.uana6 T-e +oar i eter%ine t-at t-e e#ien!e 1ro#ie by t-e 1etitioner*
re(arin( t-e %ei!al u*e of %ari.uana in t-e Unite 4tate* 7a* *till too in!on*i*tent
a%on( *tate* an too !ontro#er*ial to .u*tify re*!-eulin( %ari.uana to 4!-eule ::6 T-e
+oar furt-er note t-at t-e +oar !oul not entirely re%o#e %ari.uana fro% t-e
*!-eule* be!au*e it !oul not rea*onably !on!lue t-at %ari.uana -a* no 1otential for
abu*e an no 1otential for 1-y*iolo(i!al an 1*y!-olo(i!al e1enen!e6
T-e +oar al*o 1ointe out t-at %ari.uana re%ain* a 4!-eule : !ontrolle *ub*tan!e
uner t-e feeral &ontrolle 4ub*tan!e* A!t /&4A0, *o t-at t-e %anufa!ture, i*tribution
or 1o**e**ion of %ari.uana i* a !ri%inal offen*e uner feeral la7, unless the drug is part
of a government-approved research project6 T-e +oar note t-at t-e le(i*lature -a*
alreay !ar#e out an e)!e1tion to %ari.uana !ri%inali;ation uner MN 4tat*6 <1=2621,
t-e T2& T-era1euti! Re*ear!- A!t /TRA06 T-e TRA !reate* a bona fie %ari.uana
re*ear!- 1ro(ra%, a* allo7e uner t-e feeral &4A6 T-e +oar finally note t-at,
alt-ou(- U646 Attorney "eneral Eri! 2oler i**ue (uieline* in 200> *tatin( t-at ?it 7ill
not be a 1riority to u*e feeral re*our!e* to 1ro*e!ute 1atient* 7it- *eriou* illne**e* or
t-eir !are(i#er* 7-o are !o%1lyin( 7it- *tate la7* on %ei!al %ari.uana@, -e al*o *tate
t-at ?no 4tate !an aut-ori;e #iolation* of feeral la7@6
An alternati#e to 2F 181834F 1541 t-at %i(-t be 1ur*ue a* a !o%1ro%i*e 7oul be to
a%en MN 4tat*6 <1=2621 alon( t-e line* of le(i*lation t-at i* bein( !on*iere by t-e
"eor(ia "eneral A**e%bly6 T-at le(i*lation e)1an* "eor(ia9* eAui#alent to our T2&
T-era1euti! Re*ear!- A!t, to allo7 for u*e of !annabi* an !annabi* eri#ati#e* for
aitional %ei!al i*orer* a* 1art of re*ear!- *tuie* !onu!te uner t-e au*1i!e* of
a!ae%i! %ei!al !enter*6 :t al*o allo7* for t-e u*e of t-e !annabi* eri#ati#e,
!annabiiol, for t-e treat%ent of *ei;ure i*orer*6 :f t-i* a11roa!- i* !on*iere in
Minne*ota, 1er-a1* a 1ro#i*ion !oul be ae to allo7 for a11ro#al of t-e u*e of
!annabi* or !annabiiol for B!o%1a**ionate u*eB, out*ie of a !lini!al trial, in !ertain
!ir!u%*tan!e*6 T-i* 7oul be a$in to t-e FDA allo7in( t-e u*e of in#e*ti(ational ru(*
for treat%ent of 1atient* 7it- *eriou* or life8t-reatenin( !onition* for 7-i!- ot-er
treat%ent* are not a#ailable or 7or$in(6 /i6e6 Treat%ent :n#e*ti(ational Ne7 Dru(* or
Treat%ent :ND*06
,lea*e note t-at : a% 1ro#iin( t-i* infor%ation a* a for% of te!-ni!al a**i*tan!e to t-e
"o#ernor an -i* *taff6 T-e %e%ber* of t-e +oar of ,-ar%a!y -a#e not re#ie7e or
ta$en a 1o*ition on t-i* infor%ation6