Many Americans Use Cannabis to Alleviate Pain, Anxiety, Insomnia or Depression

According to data from the Journal of General Internal Medicine, people who use marijuana for therapeutic purposes most commonly use it to mitigate symptoms from chronic pain, anxiety, depression or insomnia.

Researchers from the University of California at San Francisco found that 49% of survey respondents reported using cannabis to treat anxiety, while 47% said for insomnia, 42% for chronic pain, and 39% for depression, NORML reported.

“The most common forms of use for all medical conditions were smoking and edibles, followed by vaping, concentrate, and topical,” the researchers reported.

Women were found to be more likely to use marijuana for post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, sleep and migraines. Men were more likely to use marijuana as a mood stabilizer.

“Among those [respondents] with doctors, 33% did not inform them, 28% reported their doctor was neutral on their use, 32% reported their doctor was supportive, and 8% reported their doctor was not supportive,” the data revealed.

Over the last decade, cannabis has become a commonly used therapeutic in the United States for physical and mental ailments.