Medical cannabis can be very effective in treating sleep apnea
Sleep apnea is a very common problem. It is estimated to affect more than 18 million Americans. This statistic means that approximately 1 in every 15 Americans, or 6.62% of the total American population have sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a qualifying condition in Minnesota for medical cannabis.
The vast majority of cannabis patients who have qualified for the program for any of the listed conditions, say that their sleep is greatly improved.
This applies to all cases of sleep difficulties, whether due to sleep apnea, pain, PTSD or any other cause.
“We have submitted petitions to include “all cause insomnia” as a condition for qualifying people for medical cannabis,” says Dr. Jacob Mirman. “Unfortunately, all of our petitions have been rejected by the government. I strongly disagree with this decision. I suggest people call their legislators and ask them to influence the appropriate parts of the government to change this stance.”
“Cannabis is becoming legal for recreational purposes, and people will be using it to sleep better, but if they don’t have other qualifying conditions, they’ll have to pay more for it in taxes (medical cannabis is tax exempt). In addition, it is more difficult to determine the correct medication and dose without the help of the pharmacists available on the medical side of the program.”
“Sleep is an incredibly important factor in keeping patients healthy and happy,” says Dr. Jacob Mirman. “People have great improvements in the area of sleep with medical cannabis. Some with sleep apnea are able to get rid of the CPAP machine. Others are better able to tolerate it. Cannabis usually works better than sleep drugs, and with less side effects. Because patients sleep better, they have much more energy during the day and see their lives improving in a variety of ways.”
Sleep apnea is often caused by obesity
Reducing weight in overweight people often reduces or eliminates obstructive sleep apnea. Cannabis almost always helps people sleep better. Sometimes it also actually helps people lose weight, which is curative for sleep apnea. When cannabis does not induce weight loss, our NRP weight management program usually does.
The NRP supplements help people achieve a sustained weight loss of around 1-2 lbs. a week; heavier patients can lose even more than that.
If a patient is serious about their weight management, this program along with these supplements can help patients lose weight and keep it off for $170 - $330 a month, which is a fraction of the costs of the new weight loss drugs. Compared to pharmaceutical options, these supplements have a more favorable side effect profile (basically no side effects after the initial 1–2-week adjustment period).
Besides being the best curative option in sleep apnea cases, weight management often improves overall health, reducing blood sugar and blood pressure, as well as risk of several conditions, including some cancers, heart disease, strokes, knee arthritis, back pains, etc. Weight reduction in obese patients has been shown to increase their longevity.
A cannabis patient recently gave me a tip to share
This patient said he uses a device which is an infuser that allows people to make their own cannabis lotions, gummies etc. He said he uses it with the cannabis he grows himself, which is now legal in MN, and is delighted with the results. He infuses coconut oil with cannabis and uses it with great success on his painful joints.