In New Zealand, minorities, women, and lower-income people are less likely to get medical cannabis prescriptions and anticipate physician refusal

Mental health (73.8%), sleep (71.6%), and pain (59.5%) were the top conditions treated. 41.5% of female users treated women's health conditions. Prescriptions were less common among females, Maori, Pacific Peoples, and lower-income earners. Those aged 60+, tertiary educated, earning above $60,000, and treating specific conditions were more likely to hold prescriptions. Younger, unemployed, Maori, or Pacific individuals were more likely to avoid requesting prescriptions due to anticipated physician refusal.

Anonymous online survey (New Zealand Drug Trends Survey) via Meta platforms, completed by 10,781 New Zealanders aged 16+ in 2024. Analysis focused on 1,742 respondents using cannabis primarily for medicinal purposes in the past 6 months. Logistic regression models predicted prescription access and physician support perceptions.

New Zealand implemented a legal medical cannabis scheme in 2020, but access disparities persist. This study shows that the gap between who uses cannabis medically and who gets a prescription follows predictable socioeconomic and ethnic lines.

Access disparities in medical cannabis mirror broader healthcare inequities seen across many conditions and countries. Establishing legal access is necessary but insufficient if structural barriers prevent equitable use.

Online survey via Meta may not reach all populations equally. Self-selected sample of cannabis users. New Zealand-specific findings may not generalize. Cannot determine whether physician refusal is actual or only anticipated.