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HELENA – A Great Falls physician who specializes in pain treatment is launching a statewide survey of Montana medical marijuana users designed to study the positive and negative experiences patients have with the drug.
Dr. K. Allan Ward, a pain specialist at Great Falls Orthopedic Associates, said he is conducting a patient survey in order to gain a better understanding of who is using medical marijuana, what they are using it to treat, and how it interacts with other drugs they may be taking. The survey also asks participants about other drug use, including whether they have a history of alcohol or drug dependency.
"Most providers are very concerned and wonder what to do (with medical marijuana patients)," Ward said. "In examining the medical literature, there are presently no definitive answers on the basic questions. There are currently, as far as I know, no published studies looking at legal marijuana use on a large scale."
Ward said his study will try to seek out answers to medical providers' common questions so that Montana physicians and policymakers have a better understanding of the drug's effects on patients.
Ward, who specializes in pain and neuromuscular medicine, said he hopes to publish his findings and then use those findings to provide lawmakers with more comprehensive information on the drug's usage in Montana.
"I'm a pharmacologist and a technician," Ward said. "I'm being asked by other doctors for advice and I don't have an answer at this time for all of the things that people are asking me. These are primary care providers who are asking an expert, 'what's the right thing for us to do,' and I don't know what to tell them."
Ward said he doesn't have a preconceived idea about whether marijuana has legitimate medical purposes. He said that's one of the things he hopes to find out in his study.
The survey seeks to answer the following medical questions:
-What are the positive medical effects of using medical marijuana.
-What are contraindications (factors that increase the risks involved in using a particular drug)?
(2 of 2)
-Why is medical marijuana generally being used in Montana?
-Are the patient registration cards being obtained under false pretenses by substance abusers?
-Why are so many young persons, ages 21 to 30, getting cards?
-What advice can I give my referring providers?
"I'm very interested in answers and intellectual discussions," Ward said. "I'm looking for some answers on issues that are not clear cut, but I think they are going to be policy-influencing."
Ward said he sought out the help of Patients and Families United, a prominent medical marijuana patient support and advocacy group in the state, for help on reaching out to patients.
Tom Daubert, founder and director of Patients and Families United, said his organization is eager to learn more about medical marijuana use.
"I've long sought to attempt something of this sort, and having the involvement of a physician like Dr. Ward was the missing link in making it happen," Daubert said. "I hear so much anecdotal information from patients about how greatly they can reduce their use of other medications that are expensive and riskier. I'm anxious to see what sort of experiences we can document, and how much of that actually occurs in the patient base of the state. I'm hoping this research can answer questions like that"
Ward said he hopes that at least 1,000 of the 8,604 registered medical marijuana patients in the state participate in the study.
Medical marijuana patients interested in participating in the anonymous survey can do so by visiting Montana Medical Marijuana Survey. Ward said the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
"If nothing else I hope to get some information for the region and for the legislature as they consider the unintended consequences in the law as it stands, because it is unintended consequences that I'm most concerned about," Ward said.
Reach Tribune Capitol Bureau Chief John S. Adams at 442-9493, or jadams@greatfallstribune.com
-Why is medical marijuana generally being used in Montana?
-Are the patient registration cards being obtained under false pretenses by substance abusers?
-Why are so many young persons, ages 21 to 30, getting cards?
-What advice can I give my referring providers?
"I'm very interested in answers and intellectual discussions," Ward said. "I'm looking for some answers on issues that are not clear cut, but I think they are going to be policy-influencing."
Ward said he sought out the help of Patients and Families United, a prominent medical marijuana patient support and advocacy group in the state, for help on reaching out to patients.
Tom Daubert, founder and director of Patients and Families United, said his organization is eager to learn more about medical marijuana use.
"I've long sought to attempt something of this sort, and having the involvement of a physician like Dr. Ward was the missing link in making it happen," Daubert said. "I hear so much anecdotal information from patients about how greatly they can reduce their use of other medications that are expensive and riskier. I'm anxious to see what sort of experiences we can document, and how much of that actually occurs in the patient base of the state. I'm hoping this research can answer questions like that"
Ward said he hopes that at least 1,000 of the 8,604 registered medical marijuana patients in the state participate in the study.
Medical marijuana patients interested in participating in the anonymous survey can do so by visiting Montana Medical Marijuana Survey. Ward said the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
"If nothing else I hope to get some information for the region and for the legislature as they consider the unintended consequences in the law as it stands, because it is unintended consequences that I'm most concerned about," Ward said.
Reach Tribune Capitol Bureau Chief John S. Adams at 442-9493, or jadams@greatfallstribune.com
Dr. K. Allan Ward, a pain specialist at Great Falls Orthopedic Associates, said he is conducting a patient survey in order to gain a better understanding of who is using medical marijuana, what they are using it to treat, and how it interacts with other drugs they may be taking. The survey also asks participants about other drug use, including whether they have a history of alcohol or drug dependency.
"Most providers are very concerned and wonder what to do (with medical marijuana patients)," Ward said. "In examining the medical literature, there are presently no definitive answers on the basic questions. There are currently, as far as I know, no published studies looking at legal marijuana use on a large scale."
Ward said his study will try to seek out answers to medical providers' common questions so that Montana physicians and policymakers have a better understanding of the drug's effects on patients.
Ward, who specializes in pain and neuromuscular medicine, said he hopes to publish his findings and then use those findings to provide lawmakers with more comprehensive information on the drug's usage in Montana.
"I'm a pharmacologist and a technician," Ward said. "I'm being asked by other doctors for advice and I don't have an answer at this time for all of the things that people are asking me. These are primary care providers who are asking an expert, 'what's the right thing for us to do,' and I don't know what to tell them."
Ward said he doesn't have a preconceived idea about whether marijuana has legitimate medical purposes. He said that's one of the things he hopes to find out in his study.
The survey seeks to answer the following medical questions:
-What are the positive medical effects of using medical marijuana.
-What are contraindications (factors that increase the risks involved in using a particular drug)?
(2 of 2)
-Why is medical marijuana generally being used in Montana?
-Are the patient registration cards being obtained under false pretenses by substance abusers?
-Why are so many young persons, ages 21 to 30, getting cards?
-What advice can I give my referring providers?
"I'm very interested in answers and intellectual discussions," Ward said. "I'm looking for some answers on issues that are not clear cut, but I think they are going to be policy-influencing."
Ward said he sought out the help of Patients and Families United, a prominent medical marijuana patient support and advocacy group in the state, for help on reaching out to patients.
Tom Daubert, founder and director of Patients and Families United, said his organization is eager to learn more about medical marijuana use.
"I've long sought to attempt something of this sort, and having the involvement of a physician like Dr. Ward was the missing link in making it happen," Daubert said. "I hear so much anecdotal information from patients about how greatly they can reduce their use of other medications that are expensive and riskier. I'm anxious to see what sort of experiences we can document, and how much of that actually occurs in the patient base of the state. I'm hoping this research can answer questions like that"
Ward said he hopes that at least 1,000 of the 8,604 registered medical marijuana patients in the state participate in the study.
Medical marijuana patients interested in participating in the anonymous survey can do so by visiting Montana Medical Marijuana Survey. Ward said the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
"If nothing else I hope to get some information for the region and for the legislature as they consider the unintended consequences in the law as it stands, because it is unintended consequences that I'm most concerned about," Ward said.
Reach Tribune Capitol Bureau Chief John S. Adams at 442-9493, or jadams@greatfallstribune.com
-Why is medical marijuana generally being used in Montana?
-Are the patient registration cards being obtained under false pretenses by substance abusers?
-Why are so many young persons, ages 21 to 30, getting cards?
-What advice can I give my referring providers?
"I'm very interested in answers and intellectual discussions," Ward said. "I'm looking for some answers on issues that are not clear cut, but I think they are going to be policy-influencing."
Ward said he sought out the help of Patients and Families United, a prominent medical marijuana patient support and advocacy group in the state, for help on reaching out to patients.
Tom Daubert, founder and director of Patients and Families United, said his organization is eager to learn more about medical marijuana use.
"I've long sought to attempt something of this sort, and having the involvement of a physician like Dr. Ward was the missing link in making it happen," Daubert said. "I hear so much anecdotal information from patients about how greatly they can reduce their use of other medications that are expensive and riskier. I'm anxious to see what sort of experiences we can document, and how much of that actually occurs in the patient base of the state. I'm hoping this research can answer questions like that"
Ward said he hopes that at least 1,000 of the 8,604 registered medical marijuana patients in the state participate in the study.
Medical marijuana patients interested in participating in the anonymous survey can do so by visiting Montana Medical Marijuana Survey. Ward said the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete.
"If nothing else I hope to get some information for the region and for the legislature as they consider the unintended consequences in the law as it stands, because it is unintended consequences that I'm most concerned about," Ward said.
Reach Tribune Capitol Bureau Chief John S. Adams at 442-9493, or jadams@greatfallstribune.com
