Minnesota's medical cannabis patients can get gummies starting Aug. 1

Starting August 1, medical marijuana patients in Minnesota can buy cannabis gummies and chews at dispensaries in the state.

On Tuesday, the state encouraged registered patients to make appointments with pharmacists to get pre-approved to buy the gummies ahead of August 1. Consultations are required under the state's program when a cannabis patient switches its medication.

Officials say the gummies and chews could be valuable options for patients that struggle with other methods of administering cannabis.

"The state’s medical cannabis program continues to respond to the needs of patients, and gummies and chews may be useful options for those who may have difficulty swallowing pills or tablets, do not want to smoke medical cannabis, or don’t like the taste of other forms of medicine," wrote Minnesota Commissioner of Health Jan Malcolm in a statement.

This month, Minnesota law changed to allow the sales of hemp-derived THC gummies with up to 5 mg of THC per serving.