Marijuana Use Among Older Adults Climbs to New High

Researchers encourage doctor-patient communication to minimize potential health risks

Rachel Nania,

AARP

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En español

Published June 03, 2025

marijuana leaf outline overlayed on US map

Charles Purvis/Trunk Archive

Marijuana use has reached a new high among older adults in the U.S.

In 2023, roughly 7 percent of adults 65 and older reported using the drug in the past month, according to an analysis led by researchers with the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at New York University’s School of Global Public Health.

That share is up from 4.8 percent in 2021, according to the study, published June 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine. A previous study noted a rise in usage among the 65-plus population from 2.4 percent in 2015 to 4.2 percent in 2018.

Also increasing, the researchers found, is marijuana use among older adults who are college-educated, higher-income earners and female. “There have been major shifts in use according to demographic and socioeconomic factors,” Joseph Palamar, the study’s senior author and an associate professor of population health at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine, said in a statement.

For example, older adults with annual incomes of at least $75,000 had the lowest prevalence of use in 2021, at 4.2 percent. But by 2023 they had the highest prevalence compared with lower-income groups, at 9.1 percent. Also, use among older adults with a college or postgraduate degree was highest in 2023, at 8.3 percent, compared with groups with some or no college.

Another key finding: Older adults with two or more chronic diseases are more likely to use marijuana than people with fewer health issues. Use among older adults in this group grew by 134.3 percent between 2021 and 2023. Cannabis use among older adults living in states where medical marijuana is legal grew by about 46 percent within the same time frame, the researchers found.

Currently, medical use of marijuana is legal in 39 states, three territories and the District of Columbia.

“It shouldn’t be surprising that use is becoming increasingly more common among people who live in states that allow medical cannabis, which could be due to increased availability or social acceptability,” Palamar said.

“Interestingly, with respect to income, those with the highest incomes had the lowest prevalence of cannabis use in 2021, but by 2023, this group had the highest prevalence, which may indicate who has access to medical cannabis, given its costs," he said.

Cannabis use can increase health risks for older adults

The study’s findings highlight the need for health care providers to screen adult patients for cannabis use and educate them about potential risks, the researchers said.

“As a geriatrician, I see more and more people interested in using cannabis for treating chronic health symptoms. But cannabis can complicate the management of chronic diseases and be potentially harmful if patients are not educated on its use and potential risks,” study co-author Benjamin Han, M.D., an associate professor and associate chief of research in the Division of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care at the University of California, San Diego, said in a statement.

Top 5 Reasons Older Adults Use Cannabis

A 2024 report from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, which is supported by AARP, found that older adults are using marijuana for a variety of reasons, including to:

Relax (81 percent)
Help with sleep (68 percent)
Enjoy the effects/feel good (64 percent)
Help with pain relief (63 percent)
Help with mental health and mood (53 percent)

Source: How Older Adults Use, Think About, and Discuss Cannabis

Such risks can include changes in heart rate and blood pressure, respiratory and breathing issues from smoke, slower coordination and trouble with memory. Older adults also face a higher risk of falls from marijuana. What’s more, cannabis can interact with medications that are commonly used by older adults, such as warfarin, opioids and benzodiazepines.

“People really need to be educated about what they’re doing,” Palamar said. “It’s not the most dangerous drug, but it’s not something to be taken lightly.” Studies in recent years have tracked an uptick in emergency room visits from older adults who use marijuana.

A 2024 report from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, which is supported by AARP, found that some older adults are talking to their doctors about marijuana use. Among older adults who used cannabis at least once a month, 56 percent reported discussing cannabis use with their health care providers, and 43 percent brought up the topic themselves.

“It should not be assumed that just because someone is older, they have not used a drug,” Palamar told AARP.

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