The Minnesota medical marijuana program was launched in July 2015. Certain residents with certain afflictions were allowed to purchase and use medical marijuana. This past Tuesday, August 1, saw the law expanded to include those suffering from PTSD to purchase and use the drug.

If I was asked to give an opinion on medical marijuana use in Minnesota, I would have just one case I'm aware of and hence I'd give it a thumbs up. I have a friend who has been using medical marijuana since some time this winter. I'll call her Sue. This much I know - she suffers from arthritis, bursitis and fibromyalgia. She's been in pain for years.

To be blunt, I would have described her as flighty and she'd swing her arms around when talking and she had a bit of a glazed-eye look. Her long hair was also flying all over the place. She took three painkilling suckers a day, which I was told cost about $40 each. There were also other painkillers she took, but I'm not sure what or how many.

I'd say it was maybe a month after being admitted to the medical marijuana program I could see the drastic change in her. I'd run into her on average once a month so any changes she would display were fairly obvious to me. She was calmer and she'd even stop and chat a bit. Sue has even cut her hair. Her husband has told me he can tell the big difference as well. He said Sue finally came to a point in her life where she had to get off all the pain medication she was taking and that's why she inquired with her doctor about medical marijuana. A big time change in her. She says she feels so much better. One snag is that insurance won't cover her marijuana and she says it's quite pricey. If I understand right it's not like smoking a joint; this is, I believe, some type of vapor she inhales.

So there's my one and only experience with a person using medical marijuana in Minnesota. Based on Sue's improvement I have to say Yes.

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