Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management Publishes Data on Patient Experiences with Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Image | adobe.stock/kudosstudio

In May 2025, the Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management published a study on medical cannabis and obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The 41-page report, titled “Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program: Experience of Enrollees During the First Five Years,” provided data on medical cannabis purchases, symptoms, side effects at the time of purchases, and more (1). As noted on its website (2), the Office of Cannabis Management collects and publishes research on enrolled patient experiences in order to increase medical cannabis scientific knowledge. Other published reports include research on chronic pain, price of cannabis products, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Minnesota first allowed medical cannabis in 2014, and in August 2018, OSA was added as a qualifying condition in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program.

As the report explained, OSA is a disorder marked by partial or full collapse of the upper airway during sleep, which can disrupt sleep, affect blood pressure, and more in the short term, and in the long term can cause hypertension, reduced cognitive function, and other consequences (1). This study on OSA covered data from August 2018 through July 2023 and involved 2,982 medical cannabis patients with sleep apnea who made at least one purchase during the time period.

Demographics of the patients included:

• 76.2% identified as male, 22.7% identified as female
• Age ranged from 13–97, with an average age of 49 years old
• 84.6% identified as white; 3.3% as Black, African, or African American; and 2.6% identified as two or more races

Also collected was data on products purchased during the patients’ first enrollment year, which totaled 33,920 transactions consisting of 104,602 products and were categorized by administration and cannabinoid content. High THC products were the most popular for all routes.

• 64.2% of the purchased products were ingested through inhalation (including raw flower and vape products)
• 29.2% were gummies, capsules, or powders
• 4.8% were oromucosal
• 1.9% were topical

Patient past-24-hour symptoms were evaluated through a patient self-evaluation (PSE) prior to each purchase. Symptoms rated from 0 to 10 included anxiety, lack of appetite, depression, disturbed sleep, fatigue, nausea, pain, and vomiting. A more than 30% reduction in a symptom was considered significant for this study.

Patients reported long-term benefits compared to the baseline enrollment score. “Among patients with moderate to severe disturbed sleep, 60.8% saw a ≥30% reduction in disturbed sleep symptoms within four months,” the report stated. “Of those patients with data after initial improvement, 73.6% maintained ≥30% improvement in their disturbed sleep for at least four months after initial improvement. Overall, of the 2,749 patients with moderate to severe disturbed sleep, approximately 39.4% were able to both achieve ≥30% reduction and maintain it for at least four months. For patients with moderate to severe fatigue, 33.5% of patients were able to both achieve ≥30% reduction and maintain it for at least four months.”

Additionally, nearly 40% of patients with depression and 36.7% with anxiety achieved more than a 30% reduction in symptoms maintained for at least four months. Pain was the symptom with the least improvement – 23.1% of patients reported a more than 30% reduction maintained for at least four months.

Data on side effects included:

• 16.5% reported adverse side effects
• 75.5% of reported side effects were mild

Samples of patient quotes about benefits of medical cannabis were also included. One patient quote was “Sleep is still great. Getting through a full night – waking up fulfilled. Anxiety is the big helper. Between therapy, cannabis, and my support system, I feel I can handle most of what life throws at me,” and other was “Reduced anxiety and increased compliance with my CPAP mask; decreased pain."

References

1. Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management. Obstructive Sleep Apnea Patients in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program: Experience of Enrollees During the First Five Years. https://mn.gov/ocm/assets/Obstructive_Sleep_Apnea_Report_2025_tcm1202-683956.pdf (accessed May 20, 2025).
2. Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management. Obstructive Sleep Apnea in the Minnesota Medical Cannabis Program. https://mn.gov/ocm/dmc/data-reports/special-reports/sleepapnea.jsp (accessed May 20, 2025).