Recently published data from tens of thousands of medical marijuana patients across the U.S. show that pain, anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are the leading conditions qualifying patients for state medical cannabis programs. The report was authored by researchers at Leafwell—a platform for obtaining medical marijuana cards—along with Duke University Medical School and the University of San Diego’s Center for Cannabis Research.
Notably, a majority of patients (58.6 percent) also reported having multiple medical conditions that they treat with marijuana. Among those with co-occurring conditions, the analysis found, anxiety and chronic pain were most common, followed by insomnia, muscle spasms and PTSD.
Among other findings, the research indicated a roughly equal split of men (51.1 percent) and women (48.9 percent) among the cannabis patients. More than 7 in 10 people (71.5 percent), meanwhile, identified as white and non-Hispanic. That group was followed by Black non-Hispanic patients (10.4 percent), Hispanic patients (8.4 percent) and patients of other races (7.1 percent). Nearly two thirds of patients (65 percent) were between the ages of 21 and 49. Another quarter (25.4 percent) were 50 or older, while 8.3 percent were patients under 21. The average age across the study group was 40.
