Telemedicine makes cannabis access more equitable, study finds

Key takeaways

• While people in socioeconomically disadvantaged areas experience worse health outcomes, virtual cannabis care may help bridge this gap.
• In Pennsylvania, telemedicine may be a solution for individuals seeking medical cannabis in areas with limited resources or qualified providers.
• The number of telemedicine-prescribed medical cannabis patients in PA did not relate to socioeconomic status, highlighting telemedicine as a way to serve patients regardless of financial status or geographic location.

Virtual cannabis services may bridge healthcare gaps

A new study by Leafwell, the leading medical cannabis telemedicine company, identified barriers to medical cannabis access in Pennsylvania.

Using a combination of publicly available data and Leafwell patient data from 2022, researchers identified telemedicine as a bridge to medical cannabis for rural and financially burdened areas where in-office providers are lacking.

Dr. Mitchell L. Doucette, lead author of the Leafwell study, stated, “While traditional in-office [medical cannabis] providers appear to be less accessible in these regions, telemedicine shows promise in reaching populations that might otherwise be underserved.”

These findings align with a 2022 study showing variance in medical cannabis provider locations based on race and ethnicity.

Figures 1 and 2 show the distribution of patients in PA by ZIP code. There is some overlap in telemedicine-approved and all other patients, but with a greater distribution for all other patients.

Qualified medical cannabis providers reach low-income areas

To obtain a medical cannabis prescription, you must meet with a qualified provider. Traveling to in-person appointments isn’t practical for many patients, especially those with limited mobility and resources.

As Leafwell’s data indicates, those living in poverty are less likely to travel for medical cannabis prescriptions.

In the study, low-income areas in PA had significantly fewer patients prescribed cannabis via non-telemedicine appointments. As expected, PA zip codes with more providers had more non-telemedicine patients.

Telemedicine could serve as a practical solution for individuals living in areas with limited resources or qualified providers.

Given that a 2022 study found disparities in medical cannabis provider locations associated with racial demographics in New York, Leafwell’s findings similarly highlight geographic, financial, and racial barriers to healthcare access in PA that could be relieved through telemedicine.

Telemedicine appeals regardless of financial status

Telemedicine reduces costs for patients and providers while improving accessibility. This is especially important for dispersed and disadvantaged communities.

A recent study examined the effectiveness of telemedicine and asserted that telemedicine visits were as effective as in-person visits for treating pain.

For medical cannabis companies, this offers an effective way to expand business while providing outreach to underserved communities.

Leafwell’s study investigated whether telemedicine could break through the financial barriers to healthcare and the distance patients must travel to providers.

The results suggested that neither the socioeconomic conditions nor the presence of nearby providers were associated with the number of telemedicine-prescribed cannabis patients. These findings highlight telemedicine as an effective method to access medical cannabis regardless of financial status or geographic location.

Overall, telemedicine may be a transformative solution for equitable access to medical cannabis. As telehealth services continue to grow post-pandemic, their potential to address healthcare inequalities will expand.

Read the full study here.

Resources

• Availability of medical cannabis services by racial, social, and geographic characteristics of neighborhoods in New York: A cross-sectional study. https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-022-13076-1
• Neighborhood disadvantage, disorder, and health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11668773/
• Neighborhood disadvantage Is associated with depressive symptoms but not depression diagnosis in older adults. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7459514/
• Promise and perils of telehealth in the current era. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34269884/
• Pros and cons of medical cannabis use by people with chronic brain disorders. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5652027/
• Socioeconomic status and health: Mediating and moderating factors. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233939096_Socioeconomic_Status_and_Health_Mediating_and_Moderating_Factors
• Telehealth versus traditional visits on pain management patients utilizing medical cannabis during the COVID-19 pandemic. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/11805/
• Virtual care and medical cannabis access: A geospatial study of telehealth’s role in reducing socioeconomic disparities. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/tmj.2024.0550

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