Therapeutic Cannabis in New Hampshire
I recently conducted a survey of our therapeutic cannabis patients and here are some of the impressive results.
I recently conducted a survey of our patients and here are some of the impressive results.
We have roughly 3,000 patients who use our dispensary (and we are getting approximately 15 new patients each day.) I surveyed 106 patients.
Some of the medical conditions our patients reported having include: Arthritis, Back Injuries, Cancer, Inflammation, Myasthenia Gravis, Glaucoma, Multiple Sclerosis, Parkinson’s Disease, Post-chemo Effects, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Traumatic Brain Injury, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Colitis.
Of those surveyed 100 percent of the patients reported a decrease in pain and/or symptoms from before using therapeutic cannabis compared with after using therapeutic cannabis. On average, using a scale of 1 – 10 (10 being most severe), pain and symptoms decreased an average of 5 points after starting the therapeutic cannabis program.
Of the 106 patients surveyed, 49 patients were able to reduce or eliminate medications previously used to control their pain and/or symptoms.
In addition, another 51 patients replied that they were able to reduce or stop their opioid usage.
When asked what most surprised them about the therapeutic cannabis program. Patients replied with:
- How it helps with sleep/anxiety
- How easy it is to use and the variety of products
- How well it works
- That my mood has improved
- How effective it is on pain
- Surprised at the quality and safety of the products
When asked what they would change about the program we overwhelmingly heard that the cost of product (not being covered by insurance or Medicaid) and the expense (doctor visits to qualify and the cost of the application) were the most frequent responses.
Lastly, when asked if our patients would recommend the program to others, 100 percent of those responded said that they would.
Therapeutic cannabis is a valuable program that is changing people’s lives and helping people manage their chronic medical symptoms and pain. When people ask why I work in a Cannabis dispensary, I tell them that I show up for work every day, because it’s the right thing to do.
Wendy E. N. Thomas works at Prime ATC, Merrimack. She has written about her experiences being a Cannabis patient for New Hampshire Magazine. Have questions about Therapeutic Cannabis or the New Hampshire Therapeutic Cannabis program? Send them to Wendy at wethomas@gmail.com
