Study: Health-Related Work Absences Drop 7% in States with Medical Cannabis Access 

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

The effect was strongest in physically demanding occupations, such as those performing manual labor and operating machinery, and in industries like construction and agriculture. Significant drops in health-related absences were also seen among health service workers. 

In a statement, Patryk Babiarz, the study’s corresponding author and an associate professor in the UGA College of Family and Consumer Sciences, noted that “Work absenteeism costs a lot for employers, with one estimate putting that total at $225 billion annually in lost productivity alone.”  

“Medical marijuana could actually save hundreds of millions of dollars in economic cost simply because people are not missing work.” — Babiarz in a statement 

Access to medical cannabis could be reducing symptoms associated with chronic pain, alleviating the need to take sick leave, the researchers suggested in the study, although the data could not directly confirm cannabis use for pain-management. 

Adult-use cannabis laws did not influence health-related absenteeism, regardless of if it 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.