HELENA- New statistics from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services show the number of medical marijuana patients continues to grow.
Data released on Oct. 20 shows just over 29,000 medical marijuana patients in Montana with providers, which is an increase of about 2,500 since the last time the state released data in July.
Those patients are served by 388 state-approved providers. Thirty-three provider applications are currently pending. That number is about the same number of providers since July.
There are 221 Montana doctors who have patients with prescribed medical marijuana.
The state data shows Gallatin County has the most patients and providers of any county in the state with more than 5,200 card holders and nearly 100 providers.
The number one condition medical marijuana is prescribed for is severe chronic pain.
The largest group of card holders are adults 30 to 40 and 43 percent of all card holders are under the age of 40.
One-third of the state’s providers serve three or few patients.
However, state data shows one provider with more than 2,000 card holders.
