Marijuana Use Over 50 Doubled in Last 3 Years

A recent study sponsored by AARP and conducted by the University of Michigan shows that marijuana usage among those over 50 years of age, has pretty much doubled since the same study was conducted roughly three years ago, in 2021.

The authors of the study expect increasing numbers of older adults to use cannabis as more states embrace legalization. The older set uses marijuana to relieve pain, help with sleep, improve mental health among various other benefits, according to the new study.

Twenty-percent of Americans over age 50 said they’ve used marijuana at least once over the last year, and one in 10 admitted to using it at least monthly. One could easily make an argument that both groups are made up of the same people, as someone who answers ‘yes’ to using marijuana “at least once per year,” and the person who answers yes to “at least monthly,” could be true about the same person.

(And, it’s not hard to imagine that respondents to such a survey might find it more comfortable to answer yes to those sorts of questions, even when the more honest response might be closer to weekly or even daily use.)

What’s driving the increase?

Relaxation was the motivation for 81 percent of respondents, while 68 percent reported using cannabis as a sleep aid, and 64 percent said it was simply to enjoy marijuana’s effects and feel good. Another 63 percent said they used cannabis for pain relief, while 53 percent said they used it for their own mental health.

In the same poll taken in 2021, the study found only 12 percent reporting that they consumed cannabis in the past 12 months, so this study’s findings of 21 percent represents almost a two-fold increase over three years. According to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, the top five Reasons for cannabis use over age 50 are:

To Relax – 81%

Help with Sleep – 68%

Enjoy the Effects – 64%

Pain Relief – 63%

Mental Health/Mood – 53%

In Michigan, where adult use was legalized in 2019, use rates were higher, with 27 percent of those over 50 reporting past-year use, while 14 percent said they use it weekly, and nine percent daily or close.

“With some form of cannabis use now legalized in 38 states and on the ballot this November in several others, and the federal rescheduling process under way, cannabis use is likely to grow,” said Erin E. Bonar, a researcher involved in the study.

The study also reported that almost 80 percent of respondents said they believe that marijuana today is stronger than it was in the past, which Is not only undeniably true, but also understated. Today’s cannabis can be significantly stronger than what was around during the 1990s, let alone the ’80s, ’70s, or ’60s.

According to a recent article in The Atlantic:

“In 2022, the federal government reported that, in samples seized by the Drug Enforcement Administration, average levels of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC—the psychoactive compound in weed that makes you feel high—had more than tripled compared with 25 years earlier, from 5 to 16 percent.”

And that’s not all… according to a recent piece published in New Scientist Magazine, which was founded in 1956 for “all those interested in scientific discovery and its social consequences”, while acknowledging the difficulties in analyzing all the different varieties available in the US, had the following to say about its relative strength:

“The data shows a clear trend: over the last 50 years, the average amount of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in cannabis – the plant’s main psychoactive component – has increased more than tenfold.”

New Science is pulling data on the subject from the Potency Monitoring Program, a project led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse and carried out at the University of Mississippi, where some of the most extensive research on cannabis strength is conducted.

Stronger means stronger.

Whether marijuana’s potency has increased three- or ten-fold isn’t terribly important. The point is that it’s much stronger than it used to be, which means that new users do have to be careful about how much they choose to imbibe. For new users who haven’t built up tolerance to THC, even a hit or two of today’s high-quality marijuana can feel uncomfortable, so proper dosing is critical.

Many people, especially those that prefer not to smoke or vape anything have turned to edibles, like gummies, that are infused with THC, along with various other cannabinoids. Gummies can be a wonderful way to enjoy cannabis, but you have to know what you’re taking… and how much to take.

Unfortunately, determining how much to take is often difficult, forcing new users to experiment in order to find their optimal dosage, and that can result in errors that lead to taking too much or too little.

Knowledge is key.

More consumers need to be educated as to how to use cannabis safely, there’s no question about that. But, that education is becoming more available every day, now that 38 states have legalized cannabis for either medical or recreational purposes. And the situation will only get better once the federal government removes cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), which among other things, will free up medical researchers to conduct further studies on cannabis-derived products including clinical trials with human volunteers.

Today, researching cannabis is very limited due to federal restrictions related to cannabis being classified as a Schedule I drug, alongside such drugs as heroin and LSD. However, a separate study earlier this year, published in the journal Drugs and Aging, concluded that “cannabis-based products may provide multiple therapeutic benefits for older adults, including for health, well-being, sleep and mood.”

Authors of that study also observed “sizable reductions in pain severity and pain interference among older aged patients [reporting] chronic pain as their primary condition.”

I’m sure there are some who will await further studies to make decisions related to cannabis use, but it’s clear that many people… and more every day… have already decided that it works well for them.

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Martin Andelman is the co-founder and CEO of Deltrium, a super-premium brand of legal THC based gummies that are double blind lab tested, blending cannabinoids to create specifically targeted effects. Deltrium is the only company that provides a scientific dosing algorithm that provides users with their individualized optimal initial dose, so no one takes too much or too little. Martin is a veteran CEO and an experienced blogger and highly-rated speaker. He is 63 years-old and lives with his wife in Cary, North Carolina. For more information, visit Deltrium.com.