1 Out of 6 Americans Use Marijuana, Mostly Fruity Flavored To Alleviate Pain And Other Health Issues

The number of people using medical cannabis to alleviate health issues is growing. The recently published study provided more insight into the growing trend.

The research conducted by experts at the University of California Los Angeles suggests that one out of six primary care patients (17%) asked in a survey admitted to using cannabis primarily for medical reasons, even though they characterize it as recreational use. The researchers also revealed that a third of participants (34.7%) "had results indicative of moderate to high risk for cannabis use disorder."

The cross-sectional study of 175 734 patients published last week by JAMA Open Network asked "What is the prevalence of past 3-month cannabis use, and what are the reasons for use among patients in a large health system?"

Interestingly, the number of those who think of themselves as medical cannabis users is low.

"While most patients (76.1%) reported using cannabis to manage a health symptom, very few patients identified as medical cannabis users," the researchers said.

The researchers said that "given the high rates of cannabis use, especially for symptom management, and the high levels of disordered use, it is essential that health care systems implement routine screening of primary care patients."

See also: Study Finds Americans Far More Likely To Report Secondhand Harms From Alcohol Than From Cannabis

Fruit Flavored Weed Strains Are In Most Demand

In the meantime, a separate survey by cannabis company NuggMD revealed that one in four marijuana consumers use it to treat pain. Most of them favor "fruity" tasting strains. Slightly fewer of those asked said they used cannabis to alleviate anxiety symptoms (23%), followed by those using it for stress relief (18%).

The poll, conducted in May, included 6,500 cannabis users who were asked to provide feedback on a series of questions related to their habits and preferences when it comes to cannabis use.

The majority of those asked (48%) said they use it "anytime," followed by participants who prefer to do it in the evening (29%).

With cannabis becoming more mainstream, the latest regulatory changes around the plant doesn’t come as a surprise. Moreover, marijuana rescheduling could advance research on cannabis use.

Now read: EXCLUSIVE: We Analyzed 4,000+ DEA Marijuana Rescheduling Comments; Here’s What Americans Really Think

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