More than 2.8 million people in the United States use cannabis therapeutically, whether for stress and anxiety management, as pain relief, or to ease other ailments. New data suggests that more consumers may be using the plant medicinally than previously thought.
A survey from NuggMD, a cannabis telehealth platform, found that eight in 10 cannabis consumers say they use marijuana as an alternative to traditional prescription drugs.
RELATED: Overlooked part of cannabis plant shows medical potential
The survey, which was shared exclusively with Marijuana Moment, asked 485 cannabis consumers whether they use cannabis as a replacement for prescription medication. While the exact survey methodology and participant selection process were unclear, 79.6 percent responded that they do, while 20.4 percent said they did not.
A majority of respondents in the survey sample did not report having a state medical marijuana card.
“Our newest poll shows the substitution effect may well be a lot higher than the pharma industry thinks that it is,” Andrew Graham, the head of communications at NuggMD, told Marijuana Moment. “It estimates that around 40 million Americans use cannabis to some degree as a replacement for prescription drugs. That’s costing Big Pharma billions annually in lost profits.”
RELATED: Fatal infection could be treated with cannabis
This comes after a recent study, published in Health Economics, found that cannabis legalization was associated with significant declines in expenditures for prescription drugs. The study found that after the legalization of recreational marijuana, the small group insurance market saw significant reductions of about $34-42 per person, as well as a reduction of about six percent in net prescription drug claims.
While more research and verification are needed, this survey is indicative of a pattern of cannabis consumers using marijuana as a substitute for prescription drugs.