A new analysis led by researchers at New York University’s School of Global Public Health has found that marijuana use among older adults has reached a new “high” with 7% of adults aged 65 or over now taking a hit in the United States. While the demographics that are driving this record usage may come as a surprise, there are reasons to believe that this trend will continue.
Often thought of as an experimental drug for students and young people, cannabis usage has been steadily growing in popularity with older users, due to its association with pain relief and the alleviation of anxiety in the short term. In fact, the profile of marijuana users has morphed considerably in recent times. With the drug now being increasingly legalized from state to state, access to cannabis either for medical or recreational use has never been greater.
To get a clearer picture, researchers from NYU examined data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2021-2023, looking specifically at cannabis usage by those over 65. Incredibly, that two-year time frame saw a 7% increase in usage among this group. “If we look even further back to 2006 and 2007, less than 1 percent of older adults used cannabis in the past year,” said Benjamin Han MD, MPH, who served at the study’s first author. “Now, we’re seeing that 7 percent have used it in the past month alone.”
Why More Adults Are Using Cannabis Than Ever Before?
Adults from the ’70s and ’80s, including aging athletes who used marijuana for relaxation, and to aid in their recovery, through to those who were simply looking for a buzz back in the day, could be continuing their habits in latter years of life, meaning that a greater proportion of usage is now falling with the older generations—a trend that is likely to continue. On a more granular level, the study also discovered that those older adults who drive demand the most are white, married, college degree educated, and receive an income of at least $75,000 per year. And, while older adult men are more likely to use marijuana, women’s usage is catching them up.
Another factor that is driving the increased cannabis intake is the availability of legal marijuana for medical purposes. “It shouldn’t be surprising that use is becoming increasingly more common among people who live in states that allow medical cannabis, which could be due to increased availability or social acceptability,” said Joseph Palamar, PhD, MPH, who was the senior author of the study. “Interestingly, with respect to income, those with the highest incomes had the lowest prevalence of cannabis use in 2021, but by 2023 this group had the highest prevalence, which may indicate who has access to medical cannabis given its costs.”
This new, detailed data is important because “This is the first time we were able to examine ‘current’ use of cannabis in this age group,” explained Han. As expected, the team found large increases in cannabis use by older adults with chronic diseases, notably those
suffering with multiple chronic conditions such as heart issues, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease. Still, the researchers recommend that clinicians screen and educate their older patients about cannabis use because they are often more sensitive to psychoactive substances. It is also true that while cannabis can alleviate some symptoms around mental health, like stress and anxiety, prolonged usage can actually deliver the opposite effect.
“As a geriatrician, I see more and more people interested in using cannabis for treating chronic health symptoms,” said Han. “But cannabis can complicate the management of chronic diseases and be potentially harmful if patients are not educated on its use and potential risks.” The experts suggest that you always seek medical advice before taking marijuana.
