HELENA- Numbers released from the Montana Department of Health and Human Services in October show the number of people using medical marijuana is approaching 30,000.
Data released on Oct. 20th shows 29,080 medical marijuana patients, with an additional 3,478 pending enrollments.
That is an increase of about 2,500 people since the last time the state released data in July.
Those patients are served by 388 state-approved providers. Thirty-three provider applications are pending. That combined number is close to the same number of providers from July.
Additionally, 221 Montana doctors have patients that have been prescribed marijuana. The number one condition medical marijuana is prescribed for is severe chronic pain, with 22,283 people listing it as least one of the conditions the suffer from.
State data shows Gallatin County has the highest number of patients and providers, with 5,231 cardholders and 99 providers.
Statewide 21 percent of cardholders are between the ages of 30 and 40, 43 percent of all cardholders are under the age of 40.
When it comes to providers who serve patients, one third serve three or fewer patients. However, one provider in the state serves more than 2,000 card holders.
