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Cards must be renewed annually and paid for each year. After obtaining one, the patient still has to pay out of pocket for the cannabis products themselves.
“Even though the fees are as low as $ 25, at the end of the day, patients are still paying for drugs that are really, really expensive,” Churgai said.
Advocates point out that no other form of medicine requires patients to pay an annual fee before they can get it. But the registration card does play a role in lowering overall costs, according to Maren Schroeder, director of policy at Sensible Change Minnesota, a group dedicated to expanding access to patients with medical marijuana in the world. ‘State.
“There is a cost to administering a state medical cannabis program that has to be borne by someone,” Schroeder said. “If it’s not a patient registration fee or a tax, it will be an increase in the price of the product. Either way, you put that, patients are going to pay for it.
Like the registration cards themselves, the cost of medical marijuana varies widely from state to state.
In New Jersey, where prices are among the highest in the country, an ounce of medical marijuana costs up to $ 500. In Michigan, an ounce of marijuana flower costs around $ 265.
It is difficult to conduct a thorough examination of the costs of medical cannabis by state. While states often track marijuana sales, price per ounce information is not readily available. Costs vary widely for different products, and not all states offer the same types. The price also varies depending on the number of dispensaries and state tax laws.
In a 2018 survey by Americans for Safe Access, more than 25% of 525 people surveyed said they often go without treatment because they cannot afford to use medical marijuana in their home. State. The average cost per month of respondents ranged from $ 50 to $ 1,500.
Minnesota does not yet offer marijuana flowers as part of its program – only THC pills and oils – although that is expected to change in March 2022.
Scott Smith, spokesperson for the Minnesota Medical Cannabis program, said his office was aware that some patients were not purchasing products through the program. But he pointed to a 2019 study commissioned by the Minnesota Department of Health that found its prices to be comparable to six other states analyzed: Colorado, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Washington.
The study found that the average amount Minnesota patients paid each month for medical marijuana was $ 316. The study, conducted by consulting firm BerryDunn, calculated the results by analyzing the sales records of two marijuana manufacturers over a three-year period.
Smith noted that the manufacturers set the prices – not the state – and that Minnesota offered the registration cards for $ 50 to people on state aid.
“People accessed marijuana through the illicit market long before medical programs existed,” Smith said. “Until the products are covered by insurance or the industry is well developed, including the removal of federal barriers that exist for the industry, price will continue to be an issue for many people.”
McClellan, who lives in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, has been pushing for access to medical marijuana since 2010. He said that despite being legalized, he’s still in the same situation he’s been since. he started using marijuana to treat his muscle spasms in 2009.
“When I went to Capitol Hill to work on medical cannabis, we were asking for safe, affordable and legal access to treatments recommended by doctors,” McClellan said.
“It’s 10 years later, I still ask the same thing. Patients can’t afford it. “
Rich Schapiro contributed.
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