Intractable Pain

Key Dates

December 2, 2015 - Commissioner adds intractable pain to the list of qualifying conditions.
July 1, 2016 -  Health care practitioners can start certifying intractable pain patients.
August 1, 2016 – Patients certified for having intractable pain become eligible to receive medical cannabis.

• Intractable Pain Fact Sheet (PDF)
  
  
• Definition of Intractable Pain
  

Advisory Panel and Public Input

• Advisory Panel Recommendation on Intractable Pain
  

• Summary of Public Comment on Adding Intractable Pain as a Qualifying Condition for the MN Medical Cannabis Program
  

• Opportunities for Public Input
  There were three channels for public input, described in this document.

• Advisory Panel on Intractable Pain
  Eight panel members advised the MDH Commissioner on whether intractable pain should be added to the list of qualifying medical conditions for Minnesota medical cannabis.
  

Literature Review and Grading of Evidence

The Minnesota Department of Health contracted with the Minnesota Evidence-based Practice Center to do a systematic literature review and grading of evidence on cannabis use for treating chronic non-cancer pain. The Medical Cannabis for Non-Cancer Pain: A Systematic Review, resulting from that work was released in early October.