Nearly one in five middle-aged adults acknowledge consuming cannabis, according to data published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

Investigators affiliated with Columbia University in New York analyzed results from the Health and Retirement Survey — a nationwide survey of older adults.

Researchers reported that 19 percent of adults aged 50 to 64, and six percent of adults over the age of 65 acknowledge having consumed cannabis products within the past 12 months. The findings are consistent with data published in July in the Journal of the American Medical Association, as well as with separate data provided by AARP, finding that rising percentages of middle-aged and older adults are consuming marijuana products.

The study’s authors also reported that 75 percent of respondents favored the use of medical cannabis, a finding that is also consistent with prior surveys, and that many older adults use cannabis therapeutically without consulting directly with their physician.

“It is not surprising that a growing percentage of adults consider cannabis to be a viable option in their later years,” NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said. “Many middle-aged and older adults struggle with pain, anxiety, restless sleep, and other conditions that cannabis products can mitigate. Many older adults are also well aware of the litany of adverse side-effects associated with available prescription drugs, like opioids or sleep aids, and they see medical cannabis as a practical and potentially safer alternative.”  

Separate survey data published last year in the Journal of Primary Care & Community Health determined that most older adults hold positive perceptions about cannabis, and several recent studies show that marijuana use is frequently associated with quality of life improvements among seniors.  

An abstract of the study, “Epidemiology of cannabis use among middle-aged and older adults in the United States,” appears in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Cannabis Use by Older Populations.’