Pennsylvania’s move to allow medical cannabis for treating anxiety has significantly influenced how the state’s marijuana program functions, according to a recent University of Pittsburgh study.
Researchers found that anxiety is now the most frequently reported reason patients receive medical cannabis certifications, surpassing chronic pain. Pennsylvania became the third state to officially include anxiety as a valid condition for medical cannabis in 2019.
While more people are turning to cannabis to manage anxiety, the researchers warn that scientific support for its effectiveness in treating anxiety remains limited. Dr. Coleman Drake, a public health expert at Pitt, expressed concern that allowing anxiety as a qualifying condition may lead patients to believe that cannabis is a proven treatment for it, even though evidence is still lacking.
Drake pointed out that although marijuana might help certain individuals depending on their situations, the overall understanding of its medical benefits is still incomplete. He attributed this gap in knowledge to longstanding federal restrictions on cannabis research and limited access to detailed data from both medical and recreational marijuana programs.
The study’s authors reviewed data from the state’s Department of Health covering over 1.7 million certifications for medical marijuana issued between late 2017 and the end of 2023. To obtain these certifications, patients must receive a licensed physician’s recommendation and renew their approval each year.
Before anxiety was added as an approved condition, most patients were using the program for chronic pain (about 67%), followed by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) at 16%. But after 2019, anxiety jumped ahead, becoming the most cited reason at 60%, while chronic pain dropped to 41% and PTSD to 11%. During this time, the number of certifications issued each month nearly tripled. Many of these certifications listed more than one qualifying condition.
The study, conducted in partnership with Johns Hopkins University and published in Annals of Internal Medicine, noted that it is unclear how many patients already using cannabis added anxiety to their diagnoses versus how many new patients joined the program specifically for anxiety treatment. Because of this, the exact impact of including anxiety on the overall size and growth of the program remains uncertain.
The researchers emphasized the need for more detailed research, especially as cannabis use continues to grow and regulations evolve. “There is an urgent need to better understand how cannabis is being used and what effects it is having,” Drake stated.
The broader marijuana industry, including firms like Green Thumb Industries Inc. (CNX: GTI) (OTCQX: GTBIF), hopes that federal restrictions impeding marijuana research are quickly reformed so that extensive studies can be conducted to document the exact effects that marijuana has on its medical users.
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