As cannabis becomes legal in more areas around the US, more and more older adults* are beginning to use cannabis for issues like chronic pain, difficulty sleeping, or as a mental health boost. One NYU study found a significant increase in cannabis use among adults 65+ from 2021 to 2023, especially among women or people with chronic disease. But while some older adults may benefit from cannabis, they’re at higher risk of having a bad, even dangerous, reaction. It’s important to talk with your clinician first before using any cannabis products.
❓ What is Cannabis?
See attached photo of cannabis plants.
Source: From Encyclopedia Britannica
Cannabis includes any drug derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. While there are over 100 chemicals in cannabis, it mainly affects people via the chemical delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. You may hear people use “marijuana” in the same way, but marijuana only refers to the parts of Cannabis sativa that have high concentrations of THC. Contrary to popular belief, cannabis is addictive , and people can experience withdrawal symptoms after long-term use (more on that later).
There are a lot of different factors that can affect how people “experience” cannabis, but many people use cannabis for its effects in the brain, like relaxation or mood improvement (you can read more about specific side effects HERE). Some people may also use medical marijuana to treat symptoms like nausea/vomiting from chemotherapy.
❓ How Do People Use Cannabis?
While cannabis is mostly used by smoking (eg. joints, blunts, pipes/bongs, vapes), it is now also being sold in oils (also usually vaped), edibles (eg. baked goods, candies), tinctures, and lotions/balms. Laws for dispensing and using cannabis (either recreationally or clinically) vary from state to state.
🤓 Nerd Alert!
You might’ve also seen products on the market containing cannabidiol, or CBD. CBD is another chemical that comes from cannabis (mainly hemp). Some CBD products have small amounts of THC, but it won’t give you the same kind of effects as when you’re high off cannabis. CBD products are legal, but there are still risks with using them, such as liver damage or mood swings. They may also not be properly labeled, either having different amounts of CBD than advertised or containing higher levels of THC.
❓ Do Older Adults Respond Differently to Marijuana?
Age is a big factor in how marijuana is processed in the body. As we get older, it gets harder for our bodies to process and remove drugs. Many older adults also have (more) chronic diseases and thus more medications that put them at greater risk of having a bad, even dangerous, reaction to cannabis. If you or a loved one over 55 has any one of the following conditions are are thinking of trying cannabis, talk with your clinician first before starting:
🫘 Liver or kidney disease: Your liver and kidneys are the main organs that process drugs before they’re removed from the body. Disease and age-related changes mean that drugs like cannabis take longer to leave the body, which can increase the risk of side effects from cannabis itself or medications the residual cannabis interacts with. Frequent cannabis use may also worsen existing liver disease.
🩸Heart/blood vessel disease or high blood pressure: Cannabis can increase your heart rate and blood pressure. Long-term cannabis use is associated with a higher risk of stroke, heart attacks, or heart rhythm disorders.
🧠 Thinking/memory problems or difficulty with keeping your balance: Frequent or heavy cannabis use has been linked to problems with memory and thinking because of its effects on the brain. One study this year even found that adults 45 and older hospitalized for cannabis use were at an increased risk for developing dementia. Drowsiness and changes in vision/hearing/balance after cannabis use can also increase the risk of falls, which can lead to injury and even death.
😵💫 Living with a mental health diagnosis: Older adults may try to use cannabis to help with loneliness or depression, but cannabis can actually worsen these feelings or trigger side effects like paranoia and hallucinations. After long-term use, people can have cannabis withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, irritability, or trouble sleeping. Additionally, cannabis use may even put people at risk of (re)developing schizophrenia, though this risk is probably lower for older adults. Many older adults using cannabis also often use alcohol, which can put them at greater risk of accident or injury.
🫁 Lung disease: Marijuana smoke, like cigarette smoke, can irritate the lungs and increase the risk of developing an infection or cancer. Long-term marijuana smoking can cause a chronic cough and increased difficulty with breathing. Older adults using cannabis also have a higher likelihood of also using tobacco , which can worsen effects from smoking cannabis.
🍔 Gastrointestinal issues: People can develop cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome (CHS) after long-term use and typically experience symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and stomach pain. Regular cannabis users may also develop acid reflux and stomach ulcers.
❓ So I Guess I Can’t Use Cannabis Anymore?
Some older adults may still benefit from cannabis use, even with all of the risks mentioned above. For right now, though, there just isn’t a lot of research on the benefits of cannabis usage in older adults specifically.
While we wait for more answers from scientists, *always* talk with your clinician before starting cannabis to see whether it’s right or safe for you. If they give the ok, it’s usually best to “start low/go slow”: start at the lowest dose of THC, and space out your cannabis use as much as you can.
Stay healthy. Stay smart.
Those Nerdy Girls
*Note: Sources varied in how they defined the cutoff for “older adult”. We chose to stick with calling older adults anyone 55 and older.
Additional Resources:
AARP: 1 in 5 Older Adults Uses Cannabis
The New York Times: Health Risks From Cannabis May Grow as Users Age
National Institute on Drug Abuse: Cannabis (Marijuana)
