 A recent study revealed that enrollment in medical marijuana programs quadrupled over the four years between 2016 and 2020.
The years long research, done at the University of Michigan, looked at medical marijuana enrollment trends, and how they changed as legalization laws changed in the states. They also looked at the reasons people gave for applying for it. Their conclusion was that the state policies have dramatic effects on how many people might be using cannabis for medical purposes or how they might be able to do so. For example, in Oklahoma, there was more than a huge jump in patient enrollment. The study found one in 10 residents of the state are medical marijuana patients, which is a record high number. Oklahoma is a stat where they have no specific qualifying medical conditions, they just need a doctor to deem it reasonable. Because there are not tight limitations like in other states, they have a very high enrollment. Byron Adinoff, a drug addiction research doctor, and president of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, said that like many doctors, was hesitant for a long time about prescribing medical cannabis, but his views have changed as information like this becomes available. He said, “I didn’t really buy into it, but, you know, after you talk to several hundred people who have benefited from it, you start to think maybe there’s something to it,” and “Hopefully it will get organized medicine and physicians individually to pay increasing attention to this issue.” This research project is titled “U.S. Trends in Registration for Medical Cannabis and Reasons for Use From 2016 to 2020” and published with Annals of Internal Medicine, with Kevin Boehnke, at the University of Michigan. Comments are closed.
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