More than one in nine adults age 65 and older who use cannabis meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder, according to new research.
Cannabis use disorder is a pattern of cannabis use that causes problems or interferes with daily life.
Researchers at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine analyzed data from the 2021-2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a nationally representative survey of U.S. residents. The analysis included 21,189 adults age 65 and older.
About 9% of older adults surveyed reported using cannabis in the past year. Among those who used cannabis, more than 11% met criteria for cannabis use disorder.
“While there is a lot of attention on how cannabis may help common chronic symptoms older adults experience or the possible acute adverse effects in this population, less focus has been on cannabis use disorder,” said Benjamin Han, an associate professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and lead author of the study, in a news release. “It is important to recognize that any psychoactive substance, including cannabis, can lead to a harmful pattern of use, including among older adults.”
Researchers say older adults may face greater risks from cannabis because of age-related changes in the body, along with the higher prevalence of chronic health conditions and prescription medication use among this population.
Previous studies have linked cannabis use among older adults to an increased risk of chronic disease, cognitive impairment, falls, cannabis poisoning and cannabis-related emergency department visits.
Smoking was the most common method of cannabis use reported among adults age 65 and older, followed by eating or drinking cannabis and vaping.
The risk of cannabis use disorder was higher among older adults who used cannabis more frequently. Those who used cannabis on at least 300 days during the previous year were nearly four times more likely to meet the criteria for cannabis use disorder than those who used it less often.
Smoking cannabis was also strongly associated with cannabis use disorder. The disorder was more common among older adults who also reported past-year mental illness, tobacco use or use of other drugs.
Researchers said the findings highlight the importance of screening older adults for unhealthy cannabis use and discussing cannabis use during routine health care visits, particularly as cannabis becomes more widely available and is increasingly used for medical and other health-related reasons.
