With a majority of states now permitting medical cannabis treatment, a new study from The American Journal of Preventive Medicine has found a sharp increase in its usage over the last decade. The study found the prevalence of US residents using cannabis for medical purposes increased significantly from 1.2% in 2013-2014 to 2.5% just ten years later, with an increase [average annual percentage] of 12.9%.
New cannabis users are not only using it for physical medical problems, but also to help with anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Almost all patients reported an improvement in their quality of life. Qualifying conditions for medical cannabis vary from state to state, but it has been known as a particularly effective treatment for patients suffering from chronic pain, for which it can serve as a safer alternative to highly addictive prescription opioids. More than half of adults who used cannabis to manage their chronic pain reported that the use of cannabis led them to decrease use of prescription opioids, prescription non-opioids, and over-the-counter pain medications.
