Observational studyAnnals of internal medicine2022
U.S. Trends in Registration for Medical Cannabis and Reasons for Use From 2016 to 2020 : An Observational Study.
Observational study in Annals of internal medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 65 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
65 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 89 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy, effectiveness and safety of medical cannabis in PTSD: a scoping review.Journal of cannabis research · 2026Pooled it
- Therapeutically Motivated Cannabis Use for Anxiety: Daily and Longitudinal Reductions Vary Between Flower and Edible Products.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Trial
- Polypharmacy, over-the-counter medications, and aromatase inhibitor adherence in early-stage breast cancer.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2024Trial
- Indications for Medical Cannabis and Their Alignment With US-Wide Disease Prevalences in the US' Largest Medical Cannabis Program: Cross-Sectional Study.JMIR public health and surveillance · 2026Article
- Mystery shopper assessments of cannabis retailer practices and regulatory compliance in five U.S. states, 2025.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2026Article
- Community pharmacists' practices and perspectives on deprescribing high-risk psychotropic medicines: National survey findings.British journal of clinical pharmacology · 2026Article
- Cannabis use patterns and perception of acute pain during brief abstinence: sex-dependent associations with circulating cannabinoid levels.Psychopharmacology · 2026Article
- Medical Cannabis Use Across Ages 19-65 Years: U.S. Young and Middle Adults, 2018-2023.American journal of preventive medicine · 2026Article
- A qualitative study on cannabis use for harm reduction and pain among veterans enrolled in an SUD treatment program.Harm reduction journal · 2026Article
- Cannabis and Psychedelics Among U.S. Young Adults: Use, Messaging Exposure, Perceptions, and Legalization Support.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026Article
- Medical cannabis authorization and opioid milligram equivalents over time in patients with chronic pain: a retrospective analysis.Pain medicine (Malden, Mass.) · 2026Article
- Reductions in substance use-related parenting behaviors after participation in a digitally delivered parenting intervention.Frontiers in digital health · 2026Article
- Changes in sleep quality during the 12 months following medical cannabis initiation.Journal of cannabis research · 2025Article
- Medical cannabis in Israel: a comprehensive review of trends and regulations, 2011-2025.Journal of cannabis research · 2025Article
- Article
- Craving for opioid and cannabis use among adults with chronic pain: Insights from a 30-day ecological momentary assessment study.Drug and alcohol dependence · 2025Article
- Cannabis Use Among Adolescents and Young Adults with Cancer: A Scoping Review.Journal of cancer education : the official journal of the American Association for Cancer Education · 2025Review
- Cannabis legalization and cannabis use disorder in United States Veterans Health Administration patients with and without psychiatric disorders, 2005-2022: a repeated cross-sectional study.Lancet regional health. Americas · 2025Article
- Age Differences in Cannabis Consumption Patterns and in Associations Between Delta-9-Tetrahydrocannabinol Intake and Cannabis Use Disorders Among Adults with Daily Use.Cannabis and cannabinoid research · 2025Article
- Medical Cannabis Use and Healthcare Utilization Among Patients with Chronic Pain: A Causal Inference Analysis Using TMLE.Pharmacy (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
5 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundCannabis policy liberalization has increased cannabis availability for medical or recreational purposes. Up-to-date trends in medical cannabis licensure can inform clinical policy and care.
objectiveTo describe recent trends in medical cannabis licensure in the United States.
designEcological study with repeated measures.
settingState registry data via state reports and data requests on medical cannabis licensure from 2016 to 2020.
participantsMedical cannabis patients (persons with medical cannabis licenses) in the United States. MEASUREMENTS: Total patient volume, patients per 10 000 of total population, and patient-reported qualifying conditions (that is, symptoms or conditions qualifying patients for licensure)-including whether these symptoms align with current therapeutic evidence of cannabis-cannabinoid efficacy.
resultsIn 2020, 26 states and Washington, DC reported patient numbers, and 19 states reported patient-reported qualifying conditions. Total enrolled patients increased approximately 4.5-fold from 678 408 in 2016 to 2 974 433 in 2020. Patients per 10 000 total population generally increased from 2016 to 2020, most dramatically in Oklahoma (927.1 patients per 10 000 population). However, enrollment increased in states without recreational legalization (that is, medical-only states), whereas enrollment decreased in 5 of 7 with recreational legalization (that is, recreational states). In 2020, 68.2% of patient-reported qualifying conditions had substantial or conclusive evidence of therapeutic value versus 84.6% in 2016. Chronic pain was the most common patient-reported qualifying condition in 2020 (60.6%), followed by posttraumatic stress disorder (10.6%). LIMITATION: Missing state data; lack of rationale for discontinuing medical cannabis licensure.
conclusionEnrollment in medical cannabis programs approximately increased 4.5-fold from 2016 to 2020, although enrollment decreased in recreational states. Use for conditions or symptoms without a strong evidence basis increased from 15.4% (2016) to 31.8% (2020). Thoughtful regulatory and clinical strategies are needed to effectively manage this rapidly changing landscape. PRIMARY FUNDING SOURCE: National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.