Arizona Residents Consumed 83 Tons of Medical Cannabis in 2019

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]D[/dropcap]ata published this week reveals that in 2019, Arizonans consumed 83 tons of medical cannabis, which is twice the amount that they were reported to have consumed during the previous year.

According to KJZZ, a new report released by the state Arizona Department of Health Services shows that last year, residents in the state doubled their cannabis usage and consumed a massive-sounding amount of cannabis over the course of 2020.

In total, across the state, 220,000 people have medical cannabis cards and are able to legally purchase cannabis for medical purposes only. Based on this amount of patients, it’s no surprise that a fair amount of cannabis was consumed.

The report is based on and compiled from data that state health officials obtain and analyze across Arizona, with data gathered from legal cannabis dispensaries in the state. In total, there are more than 100 medical cannabis dispensaries in Arizona. However, there are no official financial figures in the data, because including monetary rundowns isn’t allowed based on confidentiality. Thus, is was measured in weight instead of cost.

Since 2010, medical cannabis patients in Arizona suffering from certain, approved medical conditions and a doctor’s recommendation can purchase as much as two and a half ounces of cannabis every two weeks. Covered conditions in the state include cancer, glaucoma, AIDS, PTSD and several other medical conditions, including chronic pain.

Arizona has been embracing cannabis with the enthusiasm of their northern neighbors in Colorado for a while now. They may be considering full, recreational legalization on the 2020 ballot, and the state just ruled that cannabis is protected under current, medical cannabis laws. This begs the question: How much cannabis will Arizonans consume in 2020 and beyond, and how much will be consumed if recreational cannabis becomes legal?