The Minnesota Health Department says it will expand the legal use of medical marijuana to cover people with intractable pain.

The department's top leaders announced their decision Wednesday after several meetings around the state to gather public input.

"The relative scarcity of firm evidence made this a difficult decision," Minnesota Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger said in a statement.

The Minnesota Health Department is set to announce whether it will expand the legal use of medical marijuana to cover people with intractable pain.

The department's top leaders were due to announce their decision Wednesday after several meetings around the state to gather public input.

Medical marijuana's use was restricted to just a handful of conditions when legislators approved it. That disappointed supporters of the drug and has held down enrollment, leading to higher costs for those using it.

A decision on wehther to add chronic pain had been legally required by Jan. 1.

ROCHESTER, Minn. – Marijuana and for that matter medical marijuana has been a hot topic across the country. Although Minnesota and Iowa have allowed some medical cannabis, this issue still divides many and on Tuesday a talk on this very issue took place in Rochester.

A room full of people at the Mayo Civic Center got to experience the first-ever medical cannabis conference in the state, with many looking to learn more. “On how you can use cannabis in your life without it making you high or without it being psychoactive,” CEO of Green Heart Oregon Payton Curry says. “This is kind of the first step educating the public, educating law enforcement and professionals with other professionals within the community,” Co-Founder of Sensible Minnesota Maren Schroeder adds.

Minnesota has one of the most restrictive medical marijuana programs in the country. For starters, patients are not allowed to smoke medical marijuana – they can only eat it or vaporize it. Also, Minnesota does not allow home cultivation. Only two entities are allowed to grow medical marijuana in Minnesota. Minnesota has one of the smallest lists of qualifying conditions to become a medical marijuana patient out of states that have legalized medical marijuana. Below is the current list of qualifying conditions, per the Minnesota Department of Health:

A St. Paul man was charged Tuesday in what authorities characterized as a “large-scale” marijuana distribution ring between California and Minnesota, involving several suspects and more than $1 million.

The Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the investigation, declined to comment Tuesday or say whether more charges were expected.

But complaints against two men, along with several search warrant affidavits, offer a glimpse of the stealth operation. “This operation has seen thousands of one-pound packaged marijuana baggies being driven across country from California to Minnesota in rental cars,” said an affidavit filed Tuesday. “The investigation is being reviewed by the United States Attorney’s Office, as the network is large and covers multiple states.”

Dr. Kyle Kingsley, the CEO of Vireo Health, which owns and operates Minnesota Medical Solutions (MinnMed), one of the two providers of medical cannabis in Minnesota, gave state Senators a tour of the production facility that provided remarkable insight into the early stages of the program, which saw the first patients served on July 1st. The information provided to the Senators suggests that the company is overcoming some of the start-up challenges with the program, experiencing tremendous results in patients and is optimistic about the future of the program.

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Illinois isn’t the first state in the Midwest to allow medical marijuana. Minnesota and Michigan have active cannabis programs for patients, while other nearby states are considering legislation. Some states allow children with seizures to be treated with cannabidiol oil, or CBD, a marijuana extract.

Here’s a look at where Illinois’ neighbor states stand:

- Wisconsin: Allows possession of non-psychoactive CBD oil to treat seizure disorder. Legislation to allow adults to use marijuana for recreational or medical reasons has been introduced, but it is unlikely to pass the Republican-controlled Legislature.

This year has been an exciting one for proponents of both recreational and medicinal marijuana legalization efforts. Two states began to allow medicinal use, while two more states and Washington, D.C. have started to permit recreational use. Let’s take a look at the latest in these territories and how laws, regulations and rules have been developed around these measures.

Recreational Use

Oregon

Alaska

Qualifying conditions to become a medical marijuana patient in Alaska include:

• Cancer
• Glaucoma
• HIV/AIDS
• Cachexia (wasting syndrome)
• Nausea
• Muscle spasms
• Multiple sclerosis
• Pain
• Seizures

For a complete list of qualifying conditions and guidelines, please refer to Alaska’s application for medical marijuana registry

Arizona

Qualifying conditions to become a medical marijuana patient in Arizona include: