Medical Cannabis Access Linked to 7% Drop in Health-Related Work Absences, Study Finds

Health-related work absences fell by about 7% in states with medical cannabis access, according to a University of Georgia study published in the Journal of Workplace and Behavioral Health. Researchers analyzed U.S. Census Bureau and Bureau of Labor Statistics data from 1990 to 2025, finding the largest reductions in manual labor, machinery operation, construction, agriculture, and health services. Adult-use laws showed no effect on absenteeism.

Health-related work absences dropped by roughly 7% in states with medical cannabis access, according to a University of Georgia study published in the Journal of Workplace and Behavioral Health. The research drew on responses from more than 20 million people in a U.S. Census Bureau and U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics dataset spanning 1990 to 2025.

The effect was strongest in physically demanding occupations, including manual labor and machinery operation, and in industries such as construction and agriculture. Health service workers also showed significant declines in health-related absences.

Patryk Babiarz, the study's corresponding author and an associate professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, said work absenteeism costs employers heavily, with one estimate placing the total at $225 billion annually in lost productivity alone. He added that medical marijuana could save hundreds of millions of dollars in economic cost simply because people are not missing work.

Researchers suggested that access to medical cannabis could be reducing symptoms associated with chronic pain, alleviating the need to take sick leave, though the data could not directly confirm cannabis use for pain management. Adult-use cannabis laws did not influence health-related absenteeism, regardless of whether cannabis was legal for retail sale or simply decriminalized. The study did not examine potential adverse effects of cannabis use, such as negative health and behavioral outcomes.