Objective
To determine the extent to which states and localities include dementia as a qualifying
condition for medical marijuana and how common this indication is.
Methods
The authors reviewed authorizing legislation and medical marijuana program websites
and annual reports for the states and localities where medical marijuana is legal.
Results
Of the 24 states and localities where medical marijuana is legal, dementia is a qualifying
condition in 10 (41.7%), primarily for agitation of Alzheimer disease. In the five
states where information was available regarding qualifying conditions for certification,
dementia was the indication for <0.5% of medical marijuana certifications.
Conclusion
Dementia is somewhat commonly listed as a potential qualifying condition for medical
marijuana. Currently, few applicants for medical marijuana list dementia as the reason
for seeking certification. However, given increasingly open attitudes toward recreational
and medical marijuana use, providers should be aware that dementia is a potential
indication for licensing, despite lack of evidence for its efficacy.
Key Words
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: April 11, 2016
Accepted:
March 21,
2016
Received in revised form:
March 3,
2016
Received:
January 22,
2016
Identification
Copyright
© 2016 American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
