Health Affairs

What conditions are patients using medical marijuana to treat? 

(HEALTH AFFAIRS)

People with medical cannabis licenses are most often using marijuana to treat chronic pain. That's according to a new analysis of data on medical marijuana use in 20 states and D.C. Here's a quick look at the findings, which will be published in Health Affairs:

• The conditions: The study looked specifically at the conditions that qualify people for a medical marijuana license in a given state. Just over 62 percent of medical cannabis users reported using the drug for chronic pain. Spasms associated with multiple sclerosis were the second most common qualifying condition, followed by chemo-induced nausea and vomiting, PTSD, and cancer.
• The evidence: Nearly 86 percent of people with licenses reported using cannabis for a condition for which there’s conclusive or substantial evidence that it can help. That includes multiple sclerosis, chronic pain, and chemo-induced nausea and vomiting, according to a National Academies report on medical marijuana research.
• The data: The study also turned up wild variations in the data that states collect about medical marijuana use. Streamlining that data would make it easier to use it to inform both research and policy, the authors say.