Below is a ranked list of the 15 most common conditions for which patients use medical cannabis, based on recent data from state medical cannabis registries and commissions.
For each condition, we include the percentage or number of patients citing it, and notable trends compared to prior years.
Chronic Pain (Non-Cancer)
Chronic pain remains the most prevalent qualifying condition across U.S. medical marijuana programs. For example, in Illinois’s program chronic pain accounted for 31.1% of all patient diagnoses (the single largest share) in 2024. Arkansas similarly reported “intractable pain” as a qualifying condition in 29.0% of patients for FY2024. Some states show even higher rates – Minnesota’s registry indicates nearly 60% of its 40,000 patients use cannabis for chronic or intractable pain relief. Many states only added general non-cancer pain as a qualifying condition in the late 2010s, which led to a surge of new patients once eligible. Earlier medical cannabis programs that initially excluded broad chronic pain saw it quickly become the top indication once allowed.
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety-related disorders have recently become a leading reason for medical cannabis where allowed. Pennsylvania added anxiety as a qualifying condition in mid-2019 and by 2021 it was a factor in about 60% of all patient certifications. As of March 2024, Pennsylvania counted 289,317 registered patients with anxiety – the largest group (about two-thirds of all active patients). In Florida’s program, physicians can certify “medical conditions of the same kind or class” as listed conditions; under that category, various anxiety disorders (including generalized anxiety, panic attacks, insomnia, etc.) were reported for 44% of patients in 2024.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a commonly approved condition (especially to benefit veterans and trauma survivors) and remains a top usage category. In Florida’s large registry, PTSD accounts for 40.2% of all active patient certifications as of FY2024 – the single most reported condition in that state. Similarly, Arkansas data show PTSD as the number one condition at 34.9% of patients in FY2024 (80,075 of 229k condition reports). Many other states (New Mexico, Minnesota, etc.) also report PTSD among the leading indications (for example, 32% of Minnesota patients).
Severe Arthritis
Chronic arthritis pain (including osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis) is a major driver of medical cannabis use, especially among older adults. Illinois reported osteoarthritis as 10.0% of diagnoses in its program last year, nearly tied with migraines for the third most common condition. In Arkansas’s 2024 data, severe arthritis accounted for 11.5% of patients – the third most prevalent condition after PTSD and pain. Many arthritis sufferers qualify under generalized “chronic pain,” but states that track it separately show a significant subset of patients specifically seeking relief from arthritis-related joint pain.
Migraine and Chronic Headaches
Many patients use medical cannabis to manage migraines or severe recurrent headaches. Not all states list “migraines” explicitly, but those that do report substantial usage. In Illinois, migraine was the third most common patient-reported condition at 10.4%. New Jersey added migraines as a qualifying condition in 2018, and other states have followed suit, reflecting recognition of migraine as a debilitating condition. Clinical surveys also indicate headaches/migraines are among the most cited reasons for medical cannabis use.
Neuropathic Pain (Peripheral Neuropathy)
Nerve pain conditions (such as peripheral neuropathy, often associated with diabetes, injury, or other illnesses) represent a significant share of medical cannabis use. Arkansas explicitly reported peripheral neuropathy in 5.3% of its patients for FY2024, making it the 4th most common condition in that state. Other programs fold neuropathic pain into general chronic pain; nonetheless, many report neuropathy as a common reason patients seek cannabis when conventional nerve-pain treatments fall short.
Fibromyalgia
Fibromyalgia, a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain, is another common condition for which patients seek cannabis relief. In Arkansas, 4.2% of medical marijuana patients in FY2024 carried a fibromyalgia diagnosis. States that recognize fibromyalgia (e.g. Illinois, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire, etc.) have similarly seen significant uptake.
Cancer (and Cancer Treatment Symptoms)
Cannabis has long been used to help cancer patients with symptom management (pain, nausea, appetite loss). While nearly every program covers cancer, the proportion of total patients with cancer is relatively modest. Pennsylvania’s registry, for example, lists 14,703 patients with cancer (about 3.3% of active patients as of early 2024). Arkansas similarly reported 2.9% of its FY2024 patients had a cancer diagnosis. Florida’s data show about 3.6% of certifications for cancer in FY2023.
Multiple Sclerosis & Severe Muscle Spasms
MS and other causes of chronic spasticity are classic qualifying conditions, and many patients with these neurologic disorders use cannabis to alleviate muscle spasms. Florida’s program, for instance, has a high prevalence of multiple sclerosis, comprising 8.8% of active patient certifications (FY2024). Arkansas tracked “severe or persistent muscle spasms (including those characteristic of MS)” in 4.0% of patients. Earlier surveys showed MS was among the more common diagnoses in pre-2017 medical cannabis cohorts, although its relative share has dropped as larger groups of pain patients joined.
Severe Nausea
Severe or persistent nausea (often associated with chemotherapy, chronic conditions, or pregnancy hyperemesis) is a common qualifying symptom treated with medical cannabis. Arkansas reports 3.1% of its patients qualified due to “severe nausea” in FY2024. Many state laws include intractable nausea or vomiting as a stand-alone condition, recognizing cannabis’s antiemetic (anti-nausea) effects. In practice, some cancer patients are counted under this category (for chemo-induced nausea), as are patients with conditions like cyclic vomiting syndrome or gastrointestinal disorders.
Epilepsy & Seizure Disorders
Cannabis (especially CBD-rich preparations) is frequently used for refractory epilepsy, particularly in pediatric cases. Most medical programs include epilepsy/seizures as a qualifying condition, but the patient population is smaller compared to pain or anxiety categories. In Arkansas, only 1.6% of patients in FY2024 had a seizure disorder listed. Florida’s registry is similar, with epilepsy at 0.9% of certifications in FY2023. These low percentages reflect that severe epilepsy is relatively rare; however, cannabis gained early prominence through pediatric epilepsy cases (e.g. Dravet syndrome).
Sleep Disorders (Insomnia & Sleep Apnea)
Sleep-related issues are a frequent reason patients turn to medical cannabis, although not all jurisdictions list insomnia as a formal qualifying condition. In survey-based research, insomnia is among the most commonly reported co-occurring conditions for medical cannabis users (after anxiety and chronic pain). For example, a multi-state analysis of 81,000 patients found that insomnia was one of the top five symptoms patients sought to manage with cannabis. Recognizing this demand, a few programs have added specific sleep disorders: Pennsylvania approved obstructive sleep apnea as a qualifying condition in 2018, citing its debilitating nature. Patients with PTSD or chronic pain often also report improved sleep as a secondary benefit of cannabis.
Opioid Use Disorder (OUD)
In a newer trend, some states permit medical cannabis as an adjunct therapy for opioid dependency or as a substitute for opioid pain medications. Pennsylvania added OUD as a qualifying condition in 2018 as a harm-reduction strategy. By 2024, Pennsylvania had 11,855 patients certified with opioid use disorder, roughly 2.7% of its active registrants. New Jersey and New York implemented similar measures allowing cannabis for patients with OUD or those tapering off opioids. Illinois took a related approach with its Opioid Alternative Pilot Program, allowing any patient eligible for opioid prescriptions to access medical cannabis instead.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (Crohn’s Disease & Ulcerative Colitis)
IBD patients are increasingly represented in medical cannabis programs, although they remain a minority. These gastrointestinal conditions (Crohn’s and UC) are often grouped together due to similar symptoms (abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhea). Arkansas data show Crohn’s disease at 0.5% and ulcerative colitis at 0.5% of patients in FY2024 – together about 1% of the state’s cannabis patients. Several states (New York, Illinois, New Mexico, etc.) include Crohn’s/IBD among qualifying conditions, following evidence that cannabis can alleviate IBD symptoms in some patients.
Glaucoma
Once one of the best-known medical uses of cannabis, glaucoma is now a relatively uncommon indication in modern programs. Cannabis can reduce intraocular pressure, but only for short durations, so it’s no longer a frontline glaucoma therapy. Accordingly, glaucoma patients make up a small fraction of registries: Arkansas reported 1.0% of its FY2024 patients with glaucoma, and Florida likewise had under 1% (about 0.8%) in recent years. Earlier medical marijuana laws in the 1990s often highlighted glaucoma (e.g. it was among the first conditions legalized in California), but over time its prominence has declined.
