Why More Seniors Are Using Cannabis

Paul Armentano is the deputy director of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) and co-wrote the book “Marijuana Is Safer: So Why Are We Driving People to Drink?” He talked about the rise of senior cannabis use and what this means for health outcomes, politics, and more. Is it true that more seniors are using cannabis?

Yes. Older adults are the fastest-growing demographic of cannabis consumers. According to data published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine in 2020, self-reported cannabis use among people 65 and older increased from under 1 percent in 2006 to more than 4 percent today. Similarly, the percentage of seniors perceiving “great risks” from consuming marijuana is rapidly declining.

What is motivating seniors to turn to cannabis?

Older adults frequently defıne their cannabis consumption as medical. In addition to perceiving cannabis as an effective therapeutic agent, many seniors also report that it possesses fewer adverse effects than their prescription medicines. As a result, many older Americans acknowledge substituting cannabis products for more conventional medications. Numerous surveys of older Americans fınd that respondents report signifıcant improvements in their overall quality of life following their initiation of cannabis.

Are cannabis products effective?

Yes. Surveys consistently fınd that older adults who consume cannabis report they are more likely to frequently engage in physical activity and possess a greater quality of life than non-users. An Israeli study of more than 2,700 seniors (mean age: 75 years) prescribed medical cannabis products reported improvements in symptom management in over 93 percent of participants. The study’s investigators concluded, “The therapeutic use of cannabis is safe and effıcacious in the elderly population.”