New study of Minnesota’s medical cannabis program shows patients finding pain relief

MN Office of Cannabis Manage­ment

St. Paul, Minn. – Patients en­rolled in Minnesota’s medical can­nabis program are finding a notice­able change in pain relief within four months of receiving medi­cal cannabis, according to a new study conducted by researchers at the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management (OCM).

This study analyzed data from 9,961 patients enrolled in the medical cannabis program with a pain-related condition between March 2, 2022, and Feb. 28, 2023. The new report draws on data from patient enrollment, medical can­nabis purchases, symptom and side-effect ratings at the time of each purchase, and survey results to describe the experiences of patients who qualify for one of the chronic pain-related medical conditions.

According to the report, pain is the most prominent symptom treated in the medical cannabis program. The pain-related medical conditions of patients in the pro­gram include chronic pain, intrac­table pain, cancer with severe pain, terminal illness with severe pain, and sickle cell disease.

Typically, pain patients are treat­ed with nonsteroidal anti-inflam­matory drugs (NSAIDs) or opioids; however, both treatment options come with risks and side effects, in­cluding risk of overdose and death for opioids. While the use of canna­bis-based medicines also has risks, they have become more popular as an alternative approach to pain management or to augment other pain mitigation strategies.

Patients are asked to rate the se­verity of their pain when they en­roll in the state’s medical cannabis program and are then asked at vari­ous points of follow-up throughout their time receiving treatment.

According to the report, among all pain-related conditions, almost one-third (31.7%) of patients ex­periencing moderate to severe pain at enrollment saw a meaningful re­duction in pain symptoms within four months of treatment. Of those patients, 49.7% were able to main­tain the pain reduction for an addi­tional four months after achieving it.

“Though these percentages may seem low, cannabis treatment offers other benefits to patients experi­encing pain-related conditions that allows for their pain to be better managed and ultimately improve their quality of life,” said Grace Christensen, OCM senior research analyst.

“Many patients report that they have much higher quality sleep when treating their pain with can­nabis,” she said. “Getting better sleep often allows for patients to start the day in a better mental and emotional state.”

The report also noted that some patients either reduced or eliminat­ed other medications they were tak­ing to treat pain.

Minnesota’s medical cannabis program is unique among the states with medical cannabis programs in that it is required by law to study and learn from the experience of patients. Minnesota’s program collects data about participating patients and publishes research that adds to the growing scientific knowledge base about medical can­nabis.