Cannabis (Cannabis sativa L.) has been legalized for medicinal purposes in many states. Many studies are currently underway regarding the benefits of medical cannabis. One area of interest is the palliative treatment of cancer patients where cannabis is hypothesized to alleviate pain, increase appetite, and improve general well-being.

In one study, 25 adults with cancer were assessed before and 6 months after using medicinal cannabis. After 6 months, appetite increased in 19 patients, decreased in 2 patients, and remained the same in 4.

1.Assess the impact of cannabis use on appetite statistically (use a two-sided test). Include a p-value.

2.What hypothesis test did you run? Explain why you chose this test.

Now suppose that the same study was run, but patients are instead graded on the degree of change in appetite on a 5-point scale, with +2 indicating the greatest improvement, 0 indicating no change, and 2 indicating the greatest decrease. Data for the 25 patients is shown in table 1.

Table 1. Degree of change in appetite after 6 months of cannabis use.

Change Score Number of Patients

+2 5

+1 15

0 4

-1 2

-2 0

3.Determine if appetite has changed significantly over time in these patients. Include a p-value.

4.What hypothesis test did you run? Explain why you chose this test.