Article – OCD and IBS added to qualifying conditions for Medical Cannabis

New conditions are occasionally added to the list. CLICK HERE to see the current list of 19 conditions.

The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has officially added irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to the list of qualifying medical conditions for participation in Minnesota’s medical cannabis program. We provide virtual medical cannabis certifications and re-certifications as of August 1, 2023, for patients in Minneapolis, St. Paul and the entire state of Minnesota.

Minnesota patients certified with either IBS or OCD can now enroll in the state’s medical cannabis program. Patients certified by a participating health care practitioner as having either of these conditions can now buy medical cannabis at a medical cannabis dispensary.

What is IBS?

IBS is a disorder characterized by abdominal pain or discomfort and irregular bowel movements. It can result in diarrhea, constipation, both diarrhea and constipation, or bloating. It is a “diagnosis of exclusion”, meaning there is no colitis on colonoscopy: the patient has symptoms, but the gut looks normal on exam. The symptoms of IBS are often worse from stress. Cannabis seems to work quite well for this condition (it helps both the abdominal and emotional symptoms). Besides drugs, other methods also often help, including certain supplements and homeopathy.

What is OCD?

OCD is characterized by recurring, intrusive thoughts that often cause significant emotional distress and anxiety. This can lead to behaviors that the affected person feels compelled to perform to reduce that distress. Research has shown that people who suffer from these conditions can see benefits from using medical cannabis to treat their symptoms. As with IBS, other methods including certain supplements and homeopathy also work.

What’s the difference between medical and recreational cannabis?

“Now that recreational cannabis is becoming legal as of March 2025, many patients ask me this question”, says Dr. Jacob Mirman. “The main advantage of medical certification is the medical management of treatment by qualified pharmacists. This factor makes a huge difference in the efficacy of cannabis because the pharmacists take many factors into account to figure out the correct products and dosage that is tailored for each specific patient.” “Another positive of medical cannabis is that it is tax exempt which results in a cost savings of 15%.” “While being treated for a qualifying condition, many patients experience excellent results with additional conditions they have that are currently not on the qualifying conditions list. Common examples of those are: anxiety and insomnia. This is just another reason that so many patients are delighted with medical cannabis.”