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NIH-funded report flags high-volume certifiers, potential diversion in Arkansas medical-marijuana market
Summary
An NIH-funded, population-based assessment presented to the committee found patterns of high-volume certifying physicians, large per-patient purchase totals that suggest diversion, and preliminary PTSD findings showing fewer hospitalizations among medical-marijuana users; committee requested further cross-tabulated purchase and prescriber data.
Dr. Joe Thompson, CEO of the Arkansas Center for Health Improvement, presented the first NIH-funded population-based analysis of Arkansas s medical marijuana program produced under the state's transparency initiative. He said the study used medical licensure data, cardholder qualification data, dispensary transactions and the state's all-payer claims database (which covers roughly 80% of paid claims) to profile who participates, what they buy and whether certifications appear integrated with usual medical care.
Key program features and findings presented: - Program structure: authorized by constitutional amendment; first dispensary opened May 2019; purchasing limit is expressed as an "equivalent of 2.5 ounces of flower every two weeks" under the constitution. Thompson explained that because limits are tied to flower weight rather than THC content, users can obtain very large THC-equivalents ("you can…
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