More Older Adults are Using Cannabis
12% of people between 50-80 have consumed a THC product in the past year, with 4% doing so more than once a week.
Data from the National Poll on Healthy Ageing, by the University of Michigan’s Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, has shown that 12% of people aged between 50-80 have consumed a THC-containing substance in the past year, with 4% admitting that they do so more than once a week.
The national poll of 2,023 older adults was executed in January 2021, nine months into the pandemic and, just as the first COVID-19 vaccines were being made available to older age groups who were perceived to ben at the highest risk. The 12% overall past-year use is markedly higher than the 9.5% that was polled pre-pandemic in 2019 and way higher than the 3% polled in 2006 when only Twelve states had enacted medical cannabis laws.
In this latest study, on top of the 4% who claimed to use cannabis products at least four times a week, another 5% declared that they use cannabis once a month or less. The poll was specifically concerned with the any product that contains THC. However, it did not distinguish between whether the use was medical or recreational.
“As the stress of the pandemic and the increased legalisation of cannabis by states combined, the findings suggest that cannabis use has increased nationally amongst older adults. Older adults define a more vulnerable age group for cannabis use. This is due to potential interactions with medications, driving risks, cannabis-related mental health issues and an increase in the possibility of falls and memory problems.”
It was noted that those whose alcohol use was high enough to cause them physical and psychological harm were almost eight times as likely to say they had used cannabis in the past 12 months. However, even those with low-risk alcohol drinking patterns were found to be more than twice as likely to admit to using used cannabis in the past 12 months.
This group is one that doctors and public health officials need to pay close attention to, as they are more likely to have physical and mental health issues, that include substance use disorders.
While there were no differences in the statistics among older adults in terms of age, physical health, mental health, income or education, it was found that those with Hispanic heritage were less likely to use cannabis than their non-Hispanic counterparts.
More on this topic from Soft Secrets:
L
Liz Filmer
