Robert Celt
New Member
It's been nearly one year since medical cannabis was legalized in Minnesota.
Medical marijuana has already made a significant difference for many Minnesotans who suffered tough times before it was legalized.
"I use the product before I go to bed and I sleep through the night now," said Rick Ebner, registered medical cannabis patient.
Rick Ebner has found hope in the midst of his struggle with chronic pain
"With MS you need a tool kit you need to be creative and this is thinking outside the box and it helps," said Ebner.
Its been almost a year since medical marijuana became available to qualified Minnesota patients.
The law took effect on July 1st of last year.
Program administrators say its a conservative and tightly regulated measure.
"This isn't recreational use. This isn't a smoking program. People can't grow cannabis in their backyard," said Michelle Larson, Director of the Medical Cannabis Program in Minnesota.
Medical cannabis contains THC and CBD and can be taken in the form of oils, pills and sprays.
Medical Solutions and Leafline Labs are the only two manufacturers in the state that are responsible for cultivation, production and distribution of plant-derived medical cannabis.
"There's no other chemicals being put into this and it's not addictive and that's huge, it really is," said Ebner
"Medical cannabis or cannabis in general has a profile which is safer than opiates and narcotics and that's probably the most important aspect that needs to be discussed," said Dr. Gary Starr, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Leafline Labs.
The non-addictive profile of medical cannabis is what gained the attention of emergency physicians Dr. Gary Starr and his colleague Dr. Andrew Bachman, both co-founders of Leafline Labs.
"When we both were working in the emergency department clinically we encountered narcotic, opioid overuse and abuse so frequently that we began to seek other possible ways to treat these patents to help solve that problem," said Dr. Starr.
It was the same problem, Rick Ebner experienced in 1995 when he was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis.
But the pain he felt went years beyond that.
Dealing with unpredictable spasticity, he took narcotics every night and the side effects were bad.
"It would make me so groggy and I remember waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and falling and hitting my head so it was actually really unsafe. They were addictive so I was looking for something that could help me and not hurt me," said Ebner.
As of May, Ebner is one of about 1,300 patients who qualify and can pick up medical marijuana from three care centers currently in operation.
Qualifying conditions are limited to cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, tourette's syndrome, ALS, seizure disorders, muscle spasms, Chrohn's disease and terminal illness.
Despite legal permission to use medical marijuana many patients are finding themselves caught between federal and state laws.
"I used to be a business owner, I owned my own business, and money wasn't that big of an issue but now being on disability it's a little bit different," said Ebner.
"The banking industry doesn't really play very well with medical cannabis as an industry and likewise as a result of that many other things, insurance doesn't pay for this medication so it makes it difficult for many patients to afford," said Dr. Starr.
The director of the Minnesota Department of Health medical cannabis program says many people have asked for the list of qualifying medical conditions to be expanded.
Minnesotans will be given an opportunity to make suggestions for program expansion toward the end of this summer.
The final decision on which medical conditions will be approved for cannabis treatment must be made by the Commissioner of Health.
Meanwhile four more medical marijuana distribution facilities will be open by July.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Breaking The Stigma: How Minnesota's Medical Cannabis Program Is Impacting patients
Author: Tara Terregino
Contact: nncnow
Photo Credit: David Ramos
Website: nncnow
Medical marijuana has already made a significant difference for many Minnesotans who suffered tough times before it was legalized.
"I use the product before I go to bed and I sleep through the night now," said Rick Ebner, registered medical cannabis patient.
Rick Ebner has found hope in the midst of his struggle with chronic pain
"With MS you need a tool kit you need to be creative and this is thinking outside the box and it helps," said Ebner.
Its been almost a year since medical marijuana became available to qualified Minnesota patients.
The law took effect on July 1st of last year.
Program administrators say its a conservative and tightly regulated measure.
"This isn't recreational use. This isn't a smoking program. People can't grow cannabis in their backyard," said Michelle Larson, Director of the Medical Cannabis Program in Minnesota.
Medical cannabis contains THC and CBD and can be taken in the form of oils, pills and sprays.
Medical Solutions and Leafline Labs are the only two manufacturers in the state that are responsible for cultivation, production and distribution of plant-derived medical cannabis.
"There's no other chemicals being put into this and it's not addictive and that's huge, it really is," said Ebner
"Medical cannabis or cannabis in general has a profile which is safer than opiates and narcotics and that's probably the most important aspect that needs to be discussed," said Dr. Gary Starr, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Leafline Labs.
The non-addictive profile of medical cannabis is what gained the attention of emergency physicians Dr. Gary Starr and his colleague Dr. Andrew Bachman, both co-founders of Leafline Labs.
"When we both were working in the emergency department clinically we encountered narcotic, opioid overuse and abuse so frequently that we began to seek other possible ways to treat these patents to help solve that problem," said Dr. Starr.
It was the same problem, Rick Ebner experienced in 1995 when he was diagnosed with Multiple sclerosis.
But the pain he felt went years beyond that.
Dealing with unpredictable spasticity, he took narcotics every night and the side effects were bad.
"It would make me so groggy and I remember waking up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom and falling and hitting my head so it was actually really unsafe. They were addictive so I was looking for something that could help me and not hurt me," said Ebner.
As of May, Ebner is one of about 1,300 patients who qualify and can pick up medical marijuana from three care centers currently in operation.
Qualifying conditions are limited to cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS, tourette's syndrome, ALS, seizure disorders, muscle spasms, Chrohn's disease and terminal illness.
Despite legal permission to use medical marijuana many patients are finding themselves caught between federal and state laws.
"I used to be a business owner, I owned my own business, and money wasn't that big of an issue but now being on disability it's a little bit different," said Ebner.
"The banking industry doesn't really play very well with medical cannabis as an industry and likewise as a result of that many other things, insurance doesn't pay for this medication so it makes it difficult for many patients to afford," said Dr. Starr.
The director of the Minnesota Department of Health medical cannabis program says many people have asked for the list of qualifying medical conditions to be expanded.
Minnesotans will be given an opportunity to make suggestions for program expansion toward the end of this summer.
The final decision on which medical conditions will be approved for cannabis treatment must be made by the Commissioner of Health.
Meanwhile four more medical marijuana distribution facilities will be open by July.
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Breaking The Stigma: How Minnesota's Medical Cannabis Program Is Impacting patients
Author: Tara Terregino
Contact: nncnow
Photo Credit: David Ramos
Website: nncnow
