A recent federal study found a significant increase in enrollment in state-legal medical cannabis programs across the United States. Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the University of Michigan published the findings in the Annals of Internal Medicine. The analysis showed a 610% increase in U.S. patient numbers from 2016 to 2022.
The researchers analyzed data from 39 U.S. jurisdictions with legal medical cannabis. Thirty-four jurisdictions reported patient enrollment, 19 included information on qualifying conditions, and 29 provided information on the number of physicians authorized to recommend cannabis.
The number of enrolled medical cannabis patients in the U.S. increased by approximately 33.3 % between 2020 and 2022. The study noted that the U.S. had roughly 3.1 million patients in 2020, which increased to more than 4.1 million registered patients in 2022. The study also found that jurisdictions with legal recreational or adult-use cannabis programs have experienced a decrease in patient registrations.
States with medical cannabis programs varied in their enrollment growth due to different policies. For example, the Florida medical cannabis patient population reached over 700 thousand, but some policy analysts believe this number will be affected if the state approves recreational cannabis. The researchers excluded California from the analysis because the state has a voluntary registry that may not accurately reflect California’s actual medical cannabis patient population.
The researchers believe that the dramatic patient enrollment increases indicate an increasing cultural acceptance of cannabis. The research team decided to conduct this analysis in anticipation of possible federal rescheduling of cannabis to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act. This policy development would highlight the therapeutic potential of cannabis and lead to the reform of restrictive research regulations.
Sources: Annals of Internal Medicine, Marijuana Moment
