Once medical marijuana becomes available in Minnesota in July, cannabis in pill and oil form will be made available for patients diagnosed of HIV, cancer, AIDS, ALS and other health conditions.

Unfortunately, those who hope to have access to medical marijuana may still face challenges and this involves doctors and hospitals.

The law requires that a doctor certifies that the patient wishing to use medical marijuana has at least one of nine qualifying conditions but as registration for the new medical marijuana program starts on Monday, many of the patients who anticipate getting medical cannabis by July realized that some doctors have qualms about it.

Such was the case of Erin Caroline, who suffers from glaucoma and seizures following a traumatic injury several years ago. Caroline, who spends large amounts of money for her current treatments, has read that marijuana can relieve pain in those who suffer from glaucoma and reduce eye pressure but when she approached her doctor to certify her illness, which she needs to register for medical marijuana, she was turned down.

Richard Thorson, of the Minnesota Medical Association, acknowledged that many doctors are currently struggling with this dilemma. He cited results of surveys that show 25 percent of medical practitioners are willing to certify, 25 percent are unwilling and about half of the respondents remain undecided.

He said that many physicians are concerned about the unknowns of the drug and fear about violating federal law. Thorson likewise added that some facilities may wait to evaluate the rollout of the program before giving the approval to their patients.

"There are always undue consequences that come with drugs, and you don't learn about them until you get a number of people on the drug and you don't have that yet," Thorson said.

Lawmakers in Minnesota have made the dispensing of medical marijuana legal but the drug is still banned by the federal law, affecting the cannabis industry.

Representatives from marijuana manufacturers approved by the state have said that they won't be handing out marijuana baggies. Instead, the drug will come in pill jars and vials and has specific dosages depending on the ailment.

Andrew Bachman, from Leafline Labs, a cannabis distributor in Minnesota, said that he hopes that physicians would think of the drug simply as a boring old medicine.

Thorson, on the other hand, has noted that there is still insufficient research on the efficacy of medical marijuana to earn the approval of physicians.

Photo: Brett Levin | Flickr