Characteristics of medical marijuana dispensary patients

Introduction: Despite the rising availability and use of medical marijuana (MM) in the U.S., little is known about the demographics, clinical characteristics, or quality of life of MM patients. This study describes the demographic characteristics and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of MM patients who are initiating treatment in Pennsylvania.
Methods: Two hundred adults naive to MM and referred for any of the 23 state-approved qualifying conditions were recruited at three MM dispensaries in Pennsylvania between September 2020 and March 2021. All participants consented to the study, completed semi-structured interviews that included demographic questionnaires, the Short Form-36 (SF-36), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), provided height and weight measurements, and allowed access to their dispensary medical records.
Results: Participants had a mean age of 48.5 ±15.6 years, predominantly identified as female (67.5 %), and were most commonly referred for chronic pain (63.5%...