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Minnesotans will begin legal treatments with medical marijuana on July 1, and LeafLine Labs in Cottage Grove has already produced its first batch to begin dispensing. So far, 65 Minnesotans are certified for medical cannabis, while 14 are approved to get it in just two weeks.
The company invited the media in to take a tour of the brand new facility. Jon Lane, LeafLine Labs, said it takes about four months total for these plants to produce the THC and CBD compounds that can be used to treat 9 conditions -- the top three being cancer, epilepsy, and MS.
There's bout 2,500 plants in the main grow room, where they go from seed to maturity in about 55 days – "And then there's about another 60 days of the flowering cycle, 60 to 72 days depending on the variety," Lane said.
There will be 8 clinics in Minnesota where medical marijuana will be dispensed. Minnesota Medical Solutions and LeafLine Labs will operate four each. LeafLine Labs' first clinic will open July 1 in Eagan, and the others are to follow.
"There's no end to enrollment, so we expect that as people become more familiar and comfortable with the program, those numbers will continue to rise," Michelle Larson, Minnesota Department of Health, said.