AYR Wellness and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine Partner on Medical Research Studying ‘Quality of Life’ Benefits of Medical Cannabis

AYR Wellness Inc., a vertically integrated U.S. multistate cannabis operator (MSO), has partnered with the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine (LECOM) to conduct medical studies and publish research papers to explore cannabis’s impact on patients’ quality of life and to help destigmatize the plant. The two organizations published their first research paper in the peer-reviewed “Journal of Medical Cannabis & Cannabinoids” on Feb. 20 and co-hosted the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program Research Summit on April 15 in Erie, Pa.

The research paper, “Observational Analysis of the Influence of Medical Marijuana Use on Quality of Life in Patients,” explores “the manner in which medically approved marijuana use can impact a patient’s physical, social and mental well-being,” according to a statement from AYR. It was co-authored by Marla Bowie, Pharm. D., Master of Public Health, and Edward Miller, M.D., Fellow of the American College of Physicians, of AYR; and Zachary S. Heeter, Pharm. D., Board Certified Pharmacotherapy Specialist/Board Certified Geriatric Pharmacist, Marwah Obaid, M.S., and Mark D. Kelley, M.S. in Health Informatics, of LECOM.

Photo courtesy AYR Wellness

The paper is based on a 90-day study of 103 adult patients from the Pennsylvania Medical Marijuana Program (PAMMP) who completed electronic surveys every 30 days, tracking their medical cannabis use and quality of life. According to survey responses, “patients experienced significant improvements in physical, social functioning, emotional well-being, and energy levels within 30 days,” AYR said the statement. “Patients also displayed decreased emotional limitations, fatigue, and pain.”

AYR, which has more than 90 licensed dispensaries and a house of cannabis CPG brands, and LECOM will partner to work together on four additional studies analyzing the plant’s medical capabilities, according to AYR.

The organizations also co-hosted the PAMMP Research Summit on April 15 in Erie, Pa.

Breakout sessions hosted by the AYR/LECOM team included:

• Institutional Collaboration: Kelley discussed potential study collaboration(s) between institutions to increase patient cohorts and provide higher clinical impact.
• Study Barriers and Compliance Challenges: Dr. Bowie and Autumn Sangrey addressed any barriers to study goals, data availability, and current legal and compliance challenges and accessibility.
• Patient Advocacy and Recruitment: Dr. Miller and Dr. Heeter discussed any barriers/solutions to recruitment and gathering a diverse sample of patients. 
  

“It is with great pride that we celebrate the publication of our first medical research paper in conjunction with LECOM,” Bowie, AYR’s director of patient and customer care, said in the statement. “We are also deeply invested in expanding our knowledge of how the cannabis plant can benefit the lives of patients and customers. As we continue to partner with LECOM to conduct medical studies and publish additional papers, AYR is eager to emphasize the known capabilities of the plant and discover new ways in which it can impact medicine.”