What patterns does cannabis use have for older adults? This is what a recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine hopes to address as a team of researchers investigated increased cannabis use for older adults to help manage a myriad of health issues. This study has the potential to help researchers, medical professionals, legislators, and the public better understand cannabis use patterns as legalization continues to expand across the United States.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data obtained from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health regarding past-year cannabis use for adults 65 years and older. The goal of the study was to ascertain behavioral patterns and potential demographic reasons for cannabis use among older adults. In the end, the researchers made some interesting results compared to past studies on this similar topic.
According to an editor’s note, “The largest increases were among older female individuals and those with higher levels of education and income. Though direct comparisons to earlier years of National Survey on Drug Use and Health data were not possible due to methodological changes in the survey, these results follow an earlier JAMA Internal Medicine study by Han et al reporting that the prevalence of past-year cannabis use among US older adults increased from 2.4% to 4.2% from 2015 to 2018. Together, these 2 studies show steady increases in cannabis use among older adults.”
This study comes as cannabis legalization continues to increase across the United States, with all but four states having legalized cannabis in some form, either for medical or recreational purposes, with more than half of the states having fully legalized cannabis. Therefore, studies like these can potentially help legislators and medical professionals make the best-informed decisions regarding cannabis use among all ages of the general population.
How will older adults continue to use cannabis in the coming years and decades? Only time will tell, and this is why we science!
As always, keep doing science & keep looking up!
Sources: JAMA Internal Medicine, Marijuana Moment, JAMA Internal Medicine (1)