Little is known about the risks and benefits associated with medical cannabis legalization. The current study was an online panel survey of adult Oklahomans recruited between September and October 2020 ( = 1898). Respondents with and without a medical cannabis license were compared on sociodemographic, substance use and health characteristics, and sub-analyses focused on the characteristics of licensed and unlicensed past 30-day cannabis users. Among all participants, 19.34% ( = 367) reported that they had a medical cannabis license, and 35.73% ( = 676) reported past 30-day cannabis use. Licensees were more likely to be younger (i.e., 18-35 years of age; = 0.001), identify as a sexual minority ( < 0.001), and report past 30-day cannabis, cigarette, alcohol, and prescription opiate use (all 's ≤ 0.003). Licensed participants most commonly reported medically-recommended cannabis use for anxiety (42.51%), depression (33.24%), sleep problems (26.98%), chronic pain (24.25%), and arthritis (12.81%). The likelihood of medically-recommended cannabis use for anxiety, depression, and chronic pain differed by age group (all 's ≤ 0.028). Licensees were most likely to perceive that cannabis delivered "very much/extreme" relief from anxiety (78.57%), sleep problems (76.30%), nausea/vomiting (70.00%), and depression (67.05%). Compared to licensed past 30-day cannabis users ( = 308), unlicensed users ( = 368) were more likely to be non-White, to have ≤ high school education, to report an annual household income <$30,000, and to report current smoking (all 's ≤ 0.027). Findings provide initial information about the personal characteristics associated with having a medical cannabis license in Oklahoma, the reasons for medical cannabis use, and the perceived medical benefits.
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