Medical marijuana distribution facility coming to Rochester
(THE MED CITY BEAT) - One of the two companies responsible for cultivating marijuana under Minnesota's new law will distribute its product in Rochester.
The Minnesota Department of Health announced Monday morning it had chosen LeafLine Labs and Minnesota Medical Solutions to become the registered manufacturers responsible for growing, processing and distributing medical cannabis products as part of the state’s new medical cannabis program.
Minnesota medical marijuana producers named: Bachman group, MinnMed. Details: http://t.co/PMeHxWsKNH pic.twitter.com/Srhfs95mDW
— Pioneer Press (@PioneerPress) December 1, 2014
Each is allowed to operate four distribution centers in the state. Minnesota Medical Solutions, with a manufacturing facility in Otsego, will operate a distribution facility in Rochester. t's unknown where exactly in the city the facility will be located, but the company says it should be open by July 2015.
“The truly exciting part about today is that we get to help 5,000 Minnesota patients who may really benefit from this medicine,” said Kyle Kingsley, M.D., Chief Executive Officer of Minnesota Medical Solutions. “We're moving quickly from planning to execution, so that we will be ready to provide relief to those patients starting July 1."
Minnesota Medical Solutions will also operate distribution centers in Maple Grove, Minneapolis and Moorhead. The other company, LeafLine Labs, will cultivate marijuana in Cottage Grove and dispense it in Eagan, Hibbing, St. Cloud and St. Paul
A dozen companies applied to be the state's first and only medical pot manufacturers. Each submitted a nonrefundable application fee of $20,000.
Source: NORML
The state's new medical marijuana law -- passed earlier this year by Gov. Mark Dayton and the DFL-controlled legislature -- is the strictest of its kind in the U.S. It prohibits smoking of the drug and requires the plant be manufactured in pill or oil form. It will only be available to patients suffering from about 10 conditions including ALS and cancer.
A total of 23 states, the District of Columbia and Guam now allow the use of medical cannabis. Four states and D.C. have or are in the process of fully legalizing the drug for recreational use.
(Cover photo: Mark / Creative Commons)
