Medical cannabis patent filings distribution globally 2001-2020 by region

The United States was the country with the largest single share of global medical cannabis patent filings in the period between 2001 and 2020. More than one fourth of such patents were filed in the United States. Canada also had a large share with 10 percent, especially in relation to the size of its population. After Uruguay, Canada was the second country that fully legalized cannabis, including cultivation, possession, acquisition, and consumption of cannabis and its by-products.

Global Cannabis market

Legal cannabis spending has been gradually increasing worldwide in recent years, and the United States, particularly, represented the largest single market worldwide as of 2020. Generally, the North American legal cannabis market had the largest share of legal cannabis sales worldwide in 2020, accounting for nearly the entire global legal cannabis market. As of 2023, the leading marijuana company in North America based on market capitalization was Curaleaf.

Medical marijuana in the U.S.

The retail sales of medical marijuana in the U.S. are projected to steadily increase in the period from 2021 to 2026. Medical cannabis has been gaining traction in the United States in recent years. A total of 38 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis for therapeutic use. Oklahoma and Maine had the largest share of medical marijuana patients among U.S. states as of 2023. With more states considering legalization in the future, the use of medical cannabis in the United States is likely to continue growing.