The ceiling keeps getting higher for future marijuana investment opportunities. In another small victory for medical marijuana consulting firms and cannabis business development in general, Minnesota health officials have reportedly agreed to expand medical marijuana operations to sell to chronic pain patients, according to Minneapolis-area NBC affiliate kare11.com.
The decision won’t be put in place until next August, but it’s a welcome sign for patients and medical marijuana consulting businesses alike.
“The relative scarcity of firm evidence made this a difficult decision,” Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger said at a news conference last Wednesday. “However, given the strong medical focus of Minnesota’s medical cannabis program and the compelling testimony of hundreds of Minnesotans, it became clear that the right and compassionate choice was to add intractable pain to the program’s list of qualifying conditions. This gives new options for clinicians and new hope for suffering patients.”
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), 23 states and the District of Columbia currently allow medical marijuana. While it remains technically banned at the federal level the Obama Administration has appeared to stop persecuting against local state laws, unlike early in his tenure.
While the patients themselves will obviously benefit from the new access, medical marijuana consulting firms have reason to rejoice as well. The move is expected to significantly increase the amount of people currently enrolled in the state’s program, as their current strict rules have prevented much growth. The more people there are to sell to the more money they ultimately stand to make, but it will also help the consumer in the end.
Experts in the industry expect prices to go down as there will be more participants. It’s something of a cyclical conundrum as the high prices have scared many would-be users away as well. Reports indicate that the public was overwhelmingly in favor of the new policy. On a national scale more than half (52%) of Americans think cannabis should be legal and about seven-in-ten (69%) believe alcohol is more harmful to a person?s health than marijuana.
