Medical marijuana arrives next week in Minnesota – but smoking it is banned

Under new rules that set the state apart from others, patients will have to stick with pills and oils, and the drug will only be sold in eight locations

There will be no baggies of pot awaiting patients next week, when Minnesota joins 21 other states in offering medical marijuana. No glass pipes, no plants to tend at home. Instead, the nation's latest medical marijuana programme is a world of pill bottles and vials of marijuana-infused oil.

For the qualifying patients seeking relief from pain, medical marijuana advocates and some lawmakers, Wednesday isn't the finish line, but the first step. The state's restrictive approach, unseen in the industry, is likely to mean high costs, long drives and reluctant doctors.