Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program
Minnesota’s Medical Cannabis Program is unique among the states with medical cannabis programs in that it collects data about participating patients and publishes research that adds to the growing scientific knowledge base about medical cannabis.
A report published by the Office of Cannabis Management 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 with sleep apnea.
Key takeaways
- This study analyzed data from 3,102 patients enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis program with sleep apnea between Aug. 1, 2018, and July 31, 2023. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) became a qualifying condition for the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program in August of 2018.
- Most patients enter into the program to help improve their sleep and fatigue; however, patients were asked to rate their experience with other commonly treated symptoms such as anxiety, pain, or changes in appetite as well.
- Patients were asked to rate the severity of their sleep disruption when they enroll in the program and were asked again at various points of follow-up throughout their time receiving treatment.
- 39.4% of all patients in this study experienced significant improvement in their sleep within 4 months of beginning treatment and were able to maintain the sleep improvement for an additional 4 months.
- Of those who reported moderate to severe fatigue at enrollment, 55.3% saw significant improvement within 4 months and 33.5% were able to achieve and maintain improved scores.
