NuggMD’s 2022 Annual Cannabis Conditions Report
A complete look at user medical conditions and cannabis treatment throughout 2022.
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A complete look at user medical conditions and cannabis treatment throughout 2022.
Download the full ReportFor a good part of the last century, physicians have been reluctant to learn or talk about cannabis use. This reluctance serves to limit patient trust and reduces their access to reliable information needed to make the proper decisions for their mental and physical wellbeing.
At NuggMD, our goal was to understand the conditions that cause individuals to seek a medical cannabis card in their state, and how factors such as age, gender, and location – and the information available to patients as a result of these factors – affect patients and their ability to get treatment.
We also want medical cannabis patients to see that they are not alone in their journey, whether they are seeking relief for common conditions or symptoms, or if they are struggling to find reliable information from doctors and researchers about the use of medical cannabis.
As the nation’s leading medical marijuana technology platform, NuggMD has connected over 1,000,000 patients with state-certified medical marijuana doctors. This report was compiled using anonymized pre-evaluation and patient survey data from over 211,000 patients on the NuggMD platform. Patients self-reported age, gender, and location. Future NuggMD reports aim to include additional data from in-person MMJ evaluations to better understand what difference, if any, exists between patients seeking medical cannabis online vs in person.
63.77% of all evaluated patients selected multiple conditions when requesting a medical cannabis evaluation.
36.23%
Single Condition
63.77%
Multiple Conditions
8.74% of patients couldn’t find their specific condition listed in their state.
This was more prevalent in states like New York and Missouri that allow medical practitioners to decide if an unlisted condition can be treated with cannabis.
8.74% of patients couldn’t find their specific condition listed in their state.
This was more prevalent in states like New York and Missouri that allow medical practitioners to decide if an unlisted condition can be treated with cannabis.
The data shows that many patients are seeking medical marijuana to help in the treatment of multiple symptoms or related conditions – such as anxiety and stress, chronic pain and migraines, or cancer and nausea.
26.30% of patients reported chronic or severe pain, making it the most common reason patients seek medical cannabis in the US. However, anxiety was more common in the South and West regions of the US, accounting for 34.72% of evaluated patients.
Interestingly, conditions commonly associated with medical cannabis - like insomnia, nausea, and glaucoma - were each reported by fewer than 2.00% of patients in a majority of states we reviewed.
West
South
Midwest
Northeast
Men made up 58.18% of our patient data, but sought cannabis at higher rates for chronic pain (63.16% of patients reporting chronic pain), insomnia (66.02% of patients reporting insomnia), and HIV/AIDS (89.69% reporting HIV/AIDS).
Women accounted for 41.82% of our surveyed patients, but made up 48.42% of patients reporting PTSD, 53.52% of patients reporting nausea, and 68.39% of patients seekign cannabis for anorexia.
Age can play a role in the frequency of many conditions across the US, and we saw that same effect among patients seeking medical marijuana.
Of patients seeking cannabis for anorexia, 84.41% were under 30. Likewise, 56.21% of patients seeking cannabis to treat nausea, 55.20% seeking cannabis for stress, and 45.22% of all patients looking to treat insomnia with medical marijuana were under 30.
Likewise, patients 61 and older sought medical marijuana more frequently than younger patients for arthritis (37.89% of surveyed patients) and cancer (48.92%).
Male applicants accounted for 89.69% of all NuggMD patients seeking cannabis for HIV/AIDS, while in 2018 the CDC reported men account for 81% of all new HIV diagnoses.
Likewise, female applicants were 2.16 times more likely to list anorexia as a qualifying condition when applying for medical cannabis, slightly lower than the national average that shows anorexia nervosa is three times as prevalent among females.
We found that the rate at which patients sought medical cannabis for cancer and arthritis increased with age, in keeping with data reported by the National Cancer Institute and CDC.
Over 80% of participating patients who sought cannabis for anorexia were under age 30, while the University of Rochester’s Golisano Children’s Hospital reports that approximately 90% of anorexia nervosa diagnoses are women aged 25 or younger.
As expected, not all of our findings align with national healthcare averages. This is in part because our data does not include patients who sought in-person evaluations for medical cannabis. Additionally, a majority of our data comes from a handful of states where we operate, and the list of qualifying conditions in those states will have a greater impact.
Roughly 3 of every 5 patients tried lifestyle changes before seeking medical cannabis.
When patients did turn to cannabis, nearly 1 in 5 patients struggled to find reliable information, while another 1 in 5 felt uncomfortable talking to their doctor about the use of cannabis.
Approximately 19 of every 20 patients say medical cannabis provides moderate or total relief and that their med card was worth the cost.
More than two-thirds of patients report they were able to cease or reduce the use of one or more pharmaceutical treatments since starting to use medical cannabis.
Roughly 3 of every 5 patients tried lifestyle changes before seeking medical cannabis.
When patients did turn to cannabis, nearly 1 in 5 patients struggled to find reliable information, while another 1 in 5 felt uncomfortable talking to their doctor about the use of cannabis.
Approximately 19 of every 20 patients say medical cannabis provides moderate or total relief and that their med card was worth the cost.
More than two-thirds of patients report they were able to cease or reduce the use of one or more pharmaceutical treatments since starting to use medical cannabis.
A majority of patients in our study listed multiple conditions, which can be expected as many conditions have comorbidities or shared symptoms. From analyzing the pre-evaluation data reported by our patients, we saw that conditions varied most significantly by state. This appears to be the result of average patient age and the qualifying conditions listed in different states.
By considering how self-reported conditions vary according to each state’s list of qualifying conditions, legislators can better understand how well-intentioned policies may be negatively impacting patients in their state.
By understanding how patient needs change with age, we can better explore the benefits of medical cannabis and share those findings in a way that is accessible to the patients most likely to be affected. In this way, we can address common questions and increase trust among patients and practitioners.
States with fewer qualifying conditions may be:
-Deterring patients from seeking the medication they need.
-Reducing the accuracy of available data by forcing patients to select a comorbidity rather than the primary ailment for which they were seeking an evaluation.
Likewise, patients can see that just because their ailment isn’t listed as a qualifying condition in their state, that doesn’t mean that they are alone or that help isn’t available.
A majority of patients in our study listed multiple conditions, which can be expected as many conditions have comorbidities or shared symptoms. From analyzing the pre-evaluation data reported by our patients, we saw that conditions varied most significantly by state. This appears to be the result of average patient age and the qualifying conditions listed in different states.
By understanding how patient needs change with age, we can better explore the benefits of medical cannabis and share those findings in a way that is accessible to the patients most likely to be affected. In this way, we can address common questions and increase trust among patients and practitioners.
By considering how self-reported conditions vary according to each state’s list of qualifying conditions, legislators can better understand how well-intentioned policies may be negatively impacting patients in their state.
States with fewer qualifying conditions may be:
-Deterring patients from seeking the medication they need.
-Reducing the accuracy of available data by forcing patients to select a comorbidity rather than the primary ailment for which they were seeking an evaluation.
Likewise, patients can see that just because their ailment isn’t listed as a qualifying condition in their state, that doesn’t mean that they are alone or that help isn’t available.
Cannabis is currently being prescribed to help treat a wide variety of conditions and symptoms, and it doesn’t affect any two individuals exactly the same way. This means that even the most extensive information available online cannot replace the recommendation of a personal doctor who knows the patient and their medical history.
So while 94.1% of patients report feeling moderate or total relief from medical cannabis, and 95.3% say getting a medical marijuana card was worth the cost, our work isn’t done. Further research is needed if we want to deliver the best experience and most reliable information to patients and practitioners.
Further research is required to better understand and either support or refute these findings. Such research should seek a greater balance in the number of records reviewed from state to state, across different ages, and include in-person evaluations as well as telehealth data. While this report is limited in its scope, we hope it helps patients, practitioners, and legislators better understand how different factors – particularly a state’s medical cannabis regulations and list of qualifying conditions – can affect patient confidence and their experience with medical cannabis.
Alexandra Arnett
Report Author. Researcher & Writer at NuggMD. University of Maryland School of Pharmacy | Master of Science in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics
Tyler Elson
Report Analyst & Editor. Content Marketing Manager at NuggMD.
Deb Tharp
Report Analyst & Fact Check. Legal Researcher at NuggMD.
Dr. Brian Kessler
MD, Pain Management & Sports Medicine.
Report Medical Review. Medical Provider and Medical Reviewer at NuggMD. St. George’s University School of Medicine. New York Medical College | Lincoln Hospital Medical Center | Residence in General Surgery. Medical License in New York and California. Member of the American Medical Association (AMA)
