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With cannabis now legal in just about every state, especially newly official ones like Missouri — and many more wanting to jump in the pool — it’s no surprise that more people are looking to cannabis to treat a multitude of medical conditions.
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NORML reports on a new study that says at least one in four people in North America have used cannabis to treat everything from insomnia to anxiety to PTSD. More than 27,000 cannabis users, ranging in ages of 16 and 65, were surveyed from across the United States and Canada. Just over 27% of all respondents reported having consumed cannabis for medical purposes.
RELATED: Mississippi Could Be the 37th To Legalize Medical Cannabis
The miracle drug?
Subjects looked to cannabis to manage pain (53%), help with anxiety issues (52%), and to improve sleep (46%), which is consistent with previous studies. Subjects also reported using cannabis to deal with PTSD, migraines, and depression.
Naturally, use is higher in places where medical or recreational cannabis is legal, and can be from a prescription from a medical professional or self-prescribed. Either way, more research is needed — which is also about to explode.
RELATED: A Massive Medical Marijuana Boom Is Coming to Florida
No time like the present
Five years ago, it was projected that medical marijuana sales would reach $13.2 billion by 2025. According to Global Market Insights, it surpassed $22.4 billion in 2020 alone. Now on track to reach more than $80 billion in sales by 2027, it’s time the states, federal government, and research fully supports the industry.
