New Medical Marijuana Distribution Center Opens In St. Cloud
ST. CLOUD, Minn. (WCCO) -- On Monday we learned what Minnesotans who are using medical marijuana to relieve pain and reduce seizures have to say about whether or not it's working.
The Minnesota Department of Health says 90 percent of patients who responded to a survey said they experienced mild to significant benefits. Of that number, 66 percent called the benefit significant.
The biggest drawback was the cost. Seventy-three percent found the cost to be unaffordable.
Meanwhile, medical marijuana manufacturers are opening more distribution centers so that patients across the state don't have to drive so far.
"This has been a struggle for my family, so this is such a blessing to have this in my hometown," said cancer patient Carla Meister.
Meister was driving two hours to Eagan to fill her medical marijuana prescription until Monday when Leafline Labs St. Cloud Care Center opened.
"It's given my life back. It has helped tremendously with pain issues," Meister said. "It has helped where I can feel like eating through the chemo, where before I could not hold anything down. I wasn't even hungry."
Dr. Gary Starr is the chief medical officer at Leafline Labs, one of the two state-approved medical marijuana manufacturers. In July, care centers in Hibbing and St. Paul will open.
"Every day we see patients come through and have smiles on their faces because their life is back in their hands. They have improved in terms of their symptoms, their quality of life has improved," Starr said.
Starr anticipates the number of people eligible to buy medical marijuana will increase greatly in August. That's when chronic pain becomes a state-approved condition.
"When you see that suffering go away, of course it's powerful. We have many patients like that," Starr said.
He says many chronic pain sufferers are taking pain killers that are highly-addictive opioids.
"I would like to see every physician and/or health care practitioner become knowledgeable in the subject matter, have an open discourse about it and recognize this is a safer alternative than the opiates we're using for chronic pain now," he said.
Starr says patients are spending between $200 and $500 a month on their medical marijuana prescriptions.
The latest numbers from the state show 1,442 patients are now certified to use the medication and 559 health care providers are approved to certify patients.
