The number of qualified patients with an active ID card for Florida’s medical cannabis program has grown significantly over the past year. Medical marijuana has become increasingly popular as a treatment option for a variety of medical conditions in South West Florida. While the state of Florida legalized medical marijuana in 2016, the use of medical marijuana has been on the rise in recent years, with South West Florida being no exception.
According to the Florida Department of Health, as of March 2022, there were over 648,000 registered medical marijuana patients in the state of Florida, with over 41,000 of those patients residing in the Southwest region of the state. This is a significant increase from the previous year, where there were just over 27,000 registered medical marijuana patients in the Southwest region of Florida.
In terms of the types of medical conditions for which medical marijuana is being prescribed, chronic pain is the most common, accounting for over 80% of medical marijuana patients in the state of Florida. Other conditions for which medical marijuana is commonly prescribed include anxiety, PTSD, and cancer.
The use of medical marijuana has also had a positive impact on the economy in Southwest Florida. According to a report by the Florida Department of Health, the medical marijuana industry has created over 15,000 jobs in the state of Florida, with many of those jobs being located in Southwest Florida.
In terms of demographics, the majority of medical marijuana patients in Southwest Florida are over the age of 50, with women accounting for over 60% of medical marijuana patients in the region. This is in contrast to the traditional stereotype of medical marijuana users being young males.
Overall, the statistics on medical marijuana in Southwest Florida indicate that it has become an increasingly popular treatment option for a variety of medical conditions. The rise in registered patients, the positive impact on the economy, and the changing demographics of medical marijuana users all point towards a growing acceptance of medical marijuana as a legitimate treatment option.