{"id":1953,"date":"2026-10-01T14:29:15","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T14:29:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/?p=1953"},"modified":"2026-10-01T14:29:15","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T14:29:15","slug":"marijuana-use-among-older-americans-hits-record-high-new-analysis-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/?p=1953","title":{"rendered":"Marijuana Use Among Older Americans Hits Record High, New Analysis Finds"},"content":{"rendered":"

Marijuana use among older adults in the United States has reached a historic peak, reflecting a profound shift in how the nation\u2019s aging population interacts with cannabis. According to a new analysis led by researchers at the Center for Drug Use and HIV\/HCV Research (CDUHR) at the NYU School of Global Public Health, approximately 7 percent of adults aged 65 and older now report using marijuana within the past month. This finding, published in JAMA Internal Medicine<\/em>, marks a significant departure from historical trends and highlights how the profile of the typical cannabis user is evolving as the drug becomes more widely available and socially accepted.<\/p>\n

The researchers analyzed data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health spanning 2021 through 2023. By examining the self-reported habits of Americans aged 65 and older, the team was able to pinpoint a dramatic surge in "current" cannabis use\u2014defined as consumption within the past 30 days. This granular focus on current use represents a breakthrough in public health data collection for this demographic. Previously, researchers were largely limited to studying "past-year" usage patterns because the number of older adults reporting monthly use was statistically too small to provide a reliable picture.<\/p>\n

The findings illustrate a rapid acceleration in consumption. Current cannabis use among older adults rose from 4.8 percent in 2021 to 5.2 percent in 2022, before jumping to 7 percent in 2023. This represents an increase of nearly 46 percent over a two-year period. To put this into a broader historical context, the shift is staggering: data from 2006 and 2007 indicated that less than 1 percent of older adults had used cannabis at any point during the preceding year. Today, that same percentage is exceeded by the number of people in that age group who consume the drug on a monthly basis.<\/p>\n

Dr. Benjamin Han, an associate professor and associate chief of research in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology, and Palliative Care at the University of California San Diego and the study\u2019s first author, noted that this change is indicative of a broader cultural and policy-driven shift. As more states move to legalize cannabis for either medical or recreational purposes, the barriers to access have diminished, and the stigma associated with the drug has begun to dissipate. For researchers like Dr. Han, being able to track "current" use is a critical step in understanding the health implications for a population that is increasingly experimenting with cannabis.<\/p>\n

The study further reveals that this surge in use is not distributed evenly across the older population. The demographic profile of those using cannabis has changed significantly, with pronounced increases observed among individuals who are college-educated, married, female, and have higher annual incomes. While older men remain more likely to use cannabis than their female counterparts, the increase in use among older women has been particularly steep, suggesting that the "typical" user is no longer the stereotype often associated with past decades.<\/p>\n

Perhaps most revealing is the shift in usage patterns based on socioeconomic status. In 2021, individuals with the highest incomes reported the lowest prevalence of cannabis use. By 2023, however, that same group had moved to the top of the usage charts. Dr. Joseph Palamar, an associate professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, an affiliated researcher with CDUHR, and the study’s senior author, suggests that this reversal likely points to the practical realities of a legalized market. Medical marijuana often comes with significant out-of-pocket costs, and those with higher disposable incomes may find it easier to navigate the legal landscape and purchase regulated products compared to those with fewer financial resources.<\/p>\n

Geographic location also plays a pivotal role. The researchers observed that cannabis use grew more rapidly among older adults living in states where medical marijuana is legal compared to states where it remains prohibited. This correlation supports the theory that increased availability and the normalization of cannabis as a medical treatment are primary drivers of the trend. "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," Dr. Palamar said.<\/p>\n

The motivations behind this trend are closely tied to the health challenges that frequently accompany the aging process. The analysis found significant increases in cannabis use among older adults suffering from chronic diseases, including heart conditions, diabetes, hypertension, cancer, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Many of these individuals are living with multiple, overlapping chronic conditions, leading some to seek out cannabis as a potential tool for symptom management.<\/p>\n

While the researchers acknowledge that some of this growth may be attributed to the "aging in" effect\u2014whereby long-term cannabis users simply cross the 65-year-old threshold and enter the study group\u2014the sheer velocity of the increase suggests that there is a genuine rise in initiation and use among the elderly. This reality has created a new urgency for the medical community. Because aging bodies process substances differently, the standard recommendations for younger adults may not apply to those in their 60s, 70s, or beyond.<\/p>\n

The physiological changes that occur with aging, such as a slower metabolism and changes in body fat composition, can make older adults more sensitive to the psychoactive effects of cannabis. Furthermore, the potential for interactions between cannabis and prescription medications\u2014which older adults are more likely to be taking\u2014is a major point of concern for clinicians. <\/p>\n

"As a geriatrician, I see more and more people interested in using cannabis for treating chronic health symptoms," Dr. Han explained. "But cannabis can complicate the management of chronic diseases and be potentially harmful if patients are not educated on its use and potential risks."<\/p>\n

Given these findings, the researchers strongly recommend that clinicians move away from avoiding the subject and instead begin actively screening their older patients for cannabis use. Education is essential, they argue, to ensure that patients are aware of how the drug might interact with their existing health conditions or medications. Proactive conversations in the doctor\u2019s office can help mitigate the risks of adverse events and ensure that, if a patient chooses to use cannabis, they do so with a clear understanding of the potential impacts on their long-term health.<\/p>\n

The study, which was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the UC San Diego Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging, serves as a wake-up call for the healthcare system. As cannabis becomes a permanent fixture of the modern medical and social landscape, understanding its role in the lives of older Americans is no longer optional. It is a necessary component of comprehensive, patient-centered geriatric care. The researchers, including co-authors Kevin H. Yang of UC San Diego and Charles Cleland of NYU Grossman School of Medicine, emphasize that the goal of their work is to foster a more informed approach to a changing reality, ensuring that the health and safety of older adults remain the priority as trends in cannabis use continue to evolve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Marijuana use among older adults in the United States has reached a historic peak, reflecting a profound shift in how the nation\u2019s aging population interacts with cannabis. According to a new analysis led by researchers at the Center for Drug Use and HIV\/HCV Research (CDUHR) at the NYU School of Global Public Health, approximately 7 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1952,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[650],"tags":[1114,1605,206,1229,652,451,195,193,2331,2332,10,651],"class_list":["post-1953","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health-and-wellness","tag-americans","tag-among","tag-analysis","tag-finds","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-high","tag-hits","tag-marijuana","tag-older","tag-record","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1953"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1953\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1953"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1953"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xesi.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1953"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}