Statistics – Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry Program Update
(From the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) as of August 31, 2009)
In the November 2000 general election, Coloradoans passed Amendment 20, and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) was tasked with implementing and administering the Medical Marijuana Registry program. In March of 2001, the State of Colorado Board of Health approved the Rules and Regulations pertaining to the administration of the program, and on June 1st, 2001, the Registry began accepting and processing applications for Registry Identification cards.
Recent statistics of the registry include:
- 16,505 new patient applications have been received to date since the registry began operating in June 2001. Twenty-seven (27) applications have been denied, 20 cards have been revoked, 216 patients have died, and 1,865 cards have expired, bringing the total number of patients who currently possess valid Registry ID cards to 14,377.
- Seventy-three percent of approved applicants are male.
- The average age of all patients is 40. Currently six patients are minors (under the age of 18).
- Fifty-six percent of patients reside in the Denver-metro and area (Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas & Jefferson counties), with the remainder of patients found in counties throughout Colorado.
- Patients on the Registry represent all the debilitating conditions covered under Amendment 20. Severe pain is a reported condition for 90% of all registrants; muscle spasms are the second-most reported condition at 29%.
- Sixty-nine percent of patients have designated a primary care-giver (someone who has significant responsibility for managing the patient’s care).
- Over 800 different physicians have signed for patients in Colorado.