Guess how many people on Medicare use medical marijuana?

A hot topic among proponents of cannabis legalization is how many people on Medicare or Medicaid are using medicinal cannabis? Does medicinal cannabis help them switch off other prescription medications, such as for sleep or anxiety? Should statutory health insurance companies pay for medical cannabis?

MedicarePlans.com surveyed 1,250 Medicare patients and asked them about their cannabis habits and use. Surprisingly, 4 out of 10 Medicare patients either use or have tried medicinal cannabis, and almost the same amount, 40%, DO NOT want Medicare to cover the cost of medicinal cannabis, fearing the cost would increase! If the state intervenes, will health care costs rise, too much pork and too many hands in the pot? No pun intended.

According to the message:

When asked why they don’t support Medicare medical marijuana insurance, 38% of users say they fear the price will go up once insurance and drug companies get involved in distributing the products. The amount that current medical marijuana users pay out of pocket for their treatments varies. Half of current users say they spend up to $200 a month, while 36% spend between $201 and $500 a month. Fourteen percent say they spend over $500 each month on medical marijuana.

Some of the key findings are:

• One in five Medicare recipients currently uses medical marijuana

• 66% of Medicare beneficiaries “strongly agree” or “agree” that Medicare should cover medical marijuana

• 38% of Medicare beneficiaries who use medical marijuana don’t want Medicare coverage because they fear it will increase the price

• 59% of those who support Medicare insurance for medical marijuana say medical marijuana can be effective where other treatments fail

According to the survey, anxiety, chronic pain, depression, glaucoma and HIV/AIDS are the top conditions for which Medicare patients use medical cannabis.

This gives government and healthcare providers a glimpse of the future after full federal legalization in the US. Patients in private and government health insurance programs will want to use medicinal cannabis for a variety of reasons, so the cost and participation in the program is under scrutiny.

View the full survey here.

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