Cannabis Confusion

October 1, 2024

At Life Medical, we want to make sure that our cannabis patients are aware that the state’s new Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) is being overwhelmed with requests since the recent cannabis law was passed.


The OCM sent an email to providers and patients regarding the new rules for recertification which, instead of clarifying that situation, has caused a great deal of confusion with physicians and the public in general. So much so that after speaking with a person at OCM, even the providers at Life Medical are still unclear about the new changes.


Because of this, we are suggesting that patients call the OCM to find out if they truly do qualify under the new laws.


At Life Medical, we will continue certifying people who tell us they need to be recertified. We are urging that they be patient with the new process.


Minnesota is going through a major change as far as cannabis is concerned. It is a big step in the right direction, but changes like these are often difficult.


Click on the link to this article for a sense of what’s going on.

KSTP Article

Call us at (952) 933-8900 to schedule an appointment.

October 23, 2025
Take a look at our new website. Updated graphics and layout. Easier to navigate. Lots of new information for patients. A great new feature on the new website is the "MyChart" equivalent available to the clinic and the patient portal. Patients registering for the portal will have access to their ongoing progress notes, and lab results. This feature is similar to the MyHealth portal utilized by Fairview and other large health providers. Patients will get notifications about upcoming appointments with providers. They can immediately communicate directly with their providers and staff using the electronic message system within the portal. We have recently implemented The PRISMA System here at Life Medical. This is an interoperability toolkit that allows for easy data exchange between different medical clinics. This feature has allowed our clinic access to records from other groups including Fairview, Park Nicollet and Allina. We can now get patient information very quickly without the time-consuming “request for records” process. This makes it much easier for every medical practitioner to provide a higher level of continuity of care. Patients no longer need to hesitate to be seen outside of their current health group, because there are no longer data exchange limitations. Life Medical is a great clinic because we are always taking steps to improve our patients’ experiences.
October 22, 2025
Life Medical is proud to welcome Dr. Olga Karchenets! Dr. Karachenets is a board-certified family medicine physician with extensive experience in primary care, preventive health, and chronic disease management. She provides comprehensive care for patients of all ages and has special interests in pulmonology (asthma, COPD), dermatology, women’s health, geriatrics, diabetes, obesity management, and preventive care. She has been honored with multiple professional awards for excellence in patient care.
October 22, 2025
“We fought hard for it,” says Dr. Jacob Mirman, “and now recreational cannabis is available from non-tribal dispensaries for the first time since legalization in 2023. This is something to celebrate! Medical cannabis is much more effective than any other type of marijuana-based product because it is customized by a pharmacist. Also, medical cannabis is not subject to any taxes which makes it available at a more reasonable price. There are less restrictions for medical patients vs. recreational users, because patients do not have caps on the amount they can purchase or the potency of products. I have treated thousands of patients with medical cannabis and in the vast majority of cases the results have been excellent.”