One in Eight Older Adults Reports Using Cannabis in Past Year

Use more likely among unmarried or unpartnered adults and those consuming alcohol

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2023 (HealthDay News) — One in eight U.S. adults aged 50 to 80 years reports using cannabis in the past year, according to a study published online Nov. 20 in Cannabis and Cannabinoids Research.

Anne C. Fernandez, Ph.D., from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, and colleagues used data from the January 2021 National Poll on Healthy Aging, which asked 2,023 U.S. adults ages 50 to 80 years about past-year cannabis use, to identify demographic characteristics associated with cannabis use.

The researchers found that 12.1 percent reported cannabis use in the past year. Among those who reported cannabis use, more than one-third (34.2 percent) reported using cannabis products four or more days per week. Cannabis use was found to be less likely among people who identified as Hispanic ethnicity or as “other” races versus non-Hispanic White participants, while cannabis use was found to be more likely among unmarried/unpartnered and unemployed respondents. Alcohol consumption was also associated with an increased likelihood of cannabis use.

“As the stress of the pandemic and the increased legalization of cannabis by states converged, our findings suggest cannabis use increased among older adults nationally,” Fernandez said in a statement. “Older adults represent a vulnerable age group for cannabis use due to interactions with medications, risky driving, cannabis-related mental health impacts, and increased possibility of falls and memory issues.”

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