Study: Minnesota medical marijuana patients report benefits

Most patients who used medical marijuana during the first year of Minnesota’s tightly regulated program reported benefits, the state Health Department said Tuesday.

The study was based on patient surveys and other data. The program began July 1, 2015, and the data runs through June 31, 2016.

“Based on this evidence from the first year, Minnesota’s approach is providing many people with substantial benefits, minimal side effects and no serious adverse events,” Health Commissioner Dr. Ed Ehlinger said in a statement.

Patients were asked how much benefit they believe they received from using medical cannabis on a scale from 1 to 7, with 1 meaning no benefit and 7 meaning a great deal of benefit. Across all patients, 64 percent indicated a benefit rating of 6 or 7. Nine percent indicated little or no benefit. Most patients also reported clinically meaningful reductions in symptoms for conditions including seizures, Tourette syndrome, Crohn’s disease and muscle spasms.

Read more: http://www.twincities.com/2017/05/17/study-minnesota-medical-marijuana-patients-report-benefits/