Survey Reports 1 in 5 on Medicare Use Medical Marijuana

MedicarePlans.com, a platform for health care resources for the elderly and disabled, has published a new survey report that provides insight into the use of medical marijuana among American seniors.

According to the report, one in five Medicare recipients currently uses medical marijuana to treat one or more health conditions. Sixty-six percent of respondents believe that Medicare should cover cannabis products and treatments.

Nearly 60% of seniors who support health insurance coverage for medical marijuana think it could be more effective when other treatments fail. Additional reasons why most respondents agree that Medicare should cover cannabis treatments are its non-synthetic or natural compounds, non-addictive properties and affordability.

Survey results indicate that older adults are seeking marijuana treatment for a broad range of mental and physical conditions. Anxiety, chronic pain, and depression are the top three conditions that users try to remedy with medical marijuana. Comparatively, 32% of respondents use medical marijuana to treat anxiety, while 31% use it for chronic pain. Forty-eight percent of Medicare recipients say insurance should cover cannabis because it can treat multiple health concerns, including pain and inflammation, appetite loss, and sleep disorders or insomnia.

The study also suggests that Democrats are more likely than Republicans to seek medical treatment using marijuana. Twenty-one percent of respondents, who identify as Democrats, use medical marijuana. In contrast, only 14% of Republican Medicare recipients currently use cannabis remedies.

Conversely, 34% of seniors oppose health insurance coverage for medical marijuana. Among this group, 38% say they fear cannabis prices will increase if insurance and pharmaceutical companies get involved in the distribution of the products. Moreover, 31% of non-supporters say the long-term impacts of using medical marijuana are still unknown.

The full report can be seen at http://www.medicareplans.com/1-in-5-medicare-recipients-use-medical-marijuana