STATE OF MINNESOTA

Office of Governor Mark Dayton

130 State Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Saint Paul, MN 55155
May 9, 2014
Senator D. Scott Dibble
Room 111, State Capitol Building
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Representative Carly Melin
Assistant Majority Leader
Room 515, State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, Minnesota 55155
Dear Senator Dibble and Representative Melin:
On March 12, 2014, my Commissioners of Health, Human Services, and Public Safety
expressed their concerns about legalizing medical marijuana in Minnesota. Those concerns were,
in part:
"We should not exempt medical marijuana from the same regulatory oversight we require
for other drugs. After all, professional ethics require the medical community and
government agencies to consistently apply reasonable and effective safeguards to protect
patients from untested, unproven and unregulated therapies.
"Research into the efficacy of any medication must take into consideration dosage,
timing, drug interactions, side effects and other factors. . . Giving sick people powerful
chemicals to treat serious medical conditions in a nonregulated, noncontrolled fashion
just doesn't square with modern medical practices, much less our ethics and core values
of quality care."
I share your sympathy for children and adults struggling with serious diseases, and for
their loved ones who suffer alongside them. The Legislature has been working diligently to pass
legislation, which might help Minnesotans suffering from certain debilitating diseases. Of the
two bills currently being considered, I believe SF2470, the current House bill, better addresses the
concerns of all stakeholders.
The House bill allows for and directs the Minnesota Department of Health to do
observational studies. The Senate bill has no such provision. Therefore, the House bill is a better
vehicle to answer the questions: whether or not medical cannabis works, if so, for what
conditions, and are there any adverse effects?
The House bill provides better consumer assistance than the Senate bill. For example, the
House bill requires the Minnesota Department of Health to provide assistance in identifying
effective composition and dosage. The Senate bill provides no such assistance to patients.
Voice: (651) 201-3400 or (800) 657-3717 Fax: (651) 797-1850 MN Relay (800) 627-3529
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Mark Dayto
Governor
Senator D. Scott Dibble
Representative Carly Melin
May 9, 2014
Page 2
The House bill's limitation on cultivation and manufacturing facilities makes it more
likely that quality standards are met. Quality standards are important both for patient care and for
the Minnesota Department of Health to be able to do analysis.
Thus, I join the Minnesota Medical Association and law enforcement in support of
SF2470 over the Senate position. In particular, in a matter in which your Members are legislating
medical treatments for very serious conditions, I believe the views of the Minnesota Medical
Association deserve special weight.
If the Legislature passes the House's current language, I will sign it into law. Please
thank your Members for their significant time, effort, and care in crafting both versions.
cc: Representative Paul Thissen, Speaker of the House
Senator Thomas M. Bakk, Senate Majority Leader
Representative Erin Murphy, Majority Leader
Senator Katie Sieben, Assistant Majority Leader