Arizona Medical Marijuana Statistics
- 83% of the enrolled patients requested a permit to grow their own medical marijuana
- Medical marijuana edibles are detectable in the body for 30-days
- About 60% of medical cannabis patients in Arizona are male
- There were 113,277 new applications for medical cannabis in April 2019
- 25% of active cardholders in Arizona were between 18 and 30 years of age
- By March 2019, more than 200,000 people in Arizona could legally possess medical cannabis
- Nearly 90% of medical cannabis patients use it to treat chronic pain
- In 2018, Arizona made more than $400 million in medical marijuana sales
- Medical cannabis sales grew by 36% in 2019
Back in 2011, in the state of Arizona, a total of 12,367 people who applied for medical marijuanna also requested a permit that would allow them to grow medical marijuanna for their own use. This is 83% of the total 14,852 patients who were approved for a medical marijuanna card by the Arizona Department of Health. This statistic shows how the vast majority of these patients would prefer the privacy of growing their own medical marijuanna instead of purchasing this product from a vendor. It would be useful to compare this statistic to future years to see if more people are more comfortable buying from a vendor or growing their own medical cannabis.
The Arizona Department of Health Services performed a study in 2018 showing that, out of all registered medical cannabis patients, 107,711 were male and 72,415 were female. Essentially, approximately 60% of all medical marijuanna patients were male and about 40% were female in the state of Arizona. This is an interesting finding showing that more males may be in need of medical cannabis or more likely to choose this type of treatment. Since some cancer patients utilize this treatment, it is possible that there are more males because men are at higher risk of cancer throughout their lifetime. This may partially explain the discrepancy.
In April 2019, there were 113,277 new applications for medical cannabis in the state of Arizona. This accounted for approximately 57.5% of all applications of qualifying patients, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. This clearly shows that more patients in Arizona are in favor of using medical marijuanna than in the past. In fact, the numbers have been growing steadily since the legalization of medical cannabis in the state of Arizona. There are also small numbers of caregivers who are given access to medical cannabis to administer to patients.
As of January 2020, there were 55,032 qualified medical cannabis patients who were between 18 and 30 years of age in the state of Arizona, reports the Arizona Department of Health Services. This is approximately 25% of all active cardholders who are qualified for medical marijuanna. This shows that a larger amount of younger patients use medical marijuanna as a form of treatment. The smallest percentages are found among those below 18 years of age and above 70 years of age. This may show the ages that are most comfortable with taking cannabis as a form of treatment in comparison to the age of people who feel it is inappropriate for their health.
By March 2019, the state of Arizona had 200,179 people who could legally possess medical marijuanna products, according to the Phoenix New Times. This number is composed of 193,672 patients, 802 caretakers, and 5,705 dispensary agents. This statistic showed how the number of people who can receive medical marijuana treatment is growing, which means more people can benefit from this medical intervention.
A total of 89.81% of medical cannabis patients in Arizona state chronic pain as the reason for choosing this treatment. Much smaller numbers are seen in terms of cancer and post-traumatic stress disorder as reasons for taking medical marijuanna. With more than 200,000 patients choosing this treatment in Arizona, this shows how common chronic pain is and how this treatment may be beneficial for treating the disorder.
In 2018, the state of Arizona made more than $400 million in medical marijuana sales, which was more than a 20% increase over 2017. The average retail price comes in at about $4,800 per pound, according to AZCentral. The growth in the sales of medical marijuana has even outpaced the number of new patients qualified for the treatment. The reason the growth in sales is important is due to the amount the state makes in the 5.6% sales tax. As much as $22.4 million in revenue was brought in to Arizona. However, this does not include the city and county taxes that bring in even more funds ranging from 0.25% to 4%.
Medical cannabis sales in Arizona grew by approximately 36% from the year 2018 to 2019. Medical marijuana vendors throughout Arizona sold 165,722 pounds of cannabis in 2019, which is significantly more than the 121,916 pounds sold in 2018. This is a 35.9% increase from 2018. The number of patients participating in the program also increased, which may explain the growth in sales. In addition, the Marijuana Business Factbook approximated that the state of Arizona could reach sales for medical marijuana ranging from $620 million to $760 million for 2019. Once again, a growth in sales for medical marijuanna makes an impact on the amount of revenue that Arizona brings in every year from sales taxes.