Arizona Sees Increase in Women Using Medical Marijuana

Over the past five years, the amount of women in Arizona using medical marijuana has increase drastically, according to the latest report by the Arizona Department of Health Services.

As of May 2017, the report shows that 37.56% of active Arizona medical marijuana cardholders are women, according to Fox 10. Whereas, in 2012, only 25% of cardholders were women. The report also reveals that there are over 129,000 active medical marijuana cardholders throughout Arizona.

At 82%, chronic pain makes up the majority of cardholders. Cancer is the second most common qualifying condition.

Dr. Elaine Burns of Southwest Medical Marijuana Evaluation Center told Fox 10 that many Arizonans have a difficult time getting past the stigma of using marijuana to help medical conditions, and that this is especially true for women.

Dr. Burns stated that “people have a hard time jumping over the blurred line and looking at the medical and really looking at it through a filter or medical stand point, a therapeutic standpoint.”