More people are turning to cannabis to take advantage of its health benefits
New research published March 12 in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine confirms data that have been evident for the past several years. Medical cannabis use has been on a clear increase, rising from 1.2% in 2013-2014 to 2.5% in 2019-2020. The growing market makes much more patients have access to this plant, which has become a favorite of many for its safe and effective effects.
Several researchers from the Yale School of Medicine came together to conduct the study using a modified Poisson model. The intention was to estimate the average annual percentage change (AAPC) of medical marijuana use over the period from 2013 to 2020. The study suggests an AAPC of 12.9% over that seven-year period.
“The study documents a continued nationwide increase in the use of cannabis for diverse medical purposes between 2013 and 2020, two decades after the first state passed legalizing legislation,” the authors assert. “Increasing Use of Cannabis for Medical Purposes among US Residents 2013-2020.”
Data analyzed from September 2013 through November 2022 included “key sociodemographic and clinical subgroups.” The authors clarified that medical cannabis use was significantly associated with those living in a state where the market has already been legalized. Medical cannabis is legal in 39 states and Washington, DC.
The acceptance of this plant is becoming increasingly clear in the US. In fact, a survey conducted last fall by Pew Research found that 30% of respondents supported the legalization of cannabis for medical purposes only. Almost 60% of the participants said that the recreational and medicinal market should be legal in the country.