Number of Seniors Using Cannabis Tripled over 10 Years

In 2009, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 11 percent of respondents over age 65 reported using cannabis/THC. By 2019, that number had risen to 32 percent, and if you only looked at portion of that population age 60 to 64, the percentage of users grows to over 50 percent.

These older Americans aren’t turning to THC to “get high.”

Many are seeking an alternative to prescription drugs. A recent report from New Frontier Data, titled: Cannabis Consumers in America 2023: Part 1, showed that 61 percent of American consumers are using THC to improve their sleep with cannabis products, but relieving chronic pain, treating neuropathy and reducing anxiety were also high on the list, conditions common among senior citizens.

In her recent artcle for GreenState.com, Dr. Leigh Vinocur, a physician who specializes in geriatric care, wrote:

“In my clinical practice, I’ve seen patients from their 60s to 80s asking about medical cannabis. They’re trying to manage real medical issues, such as chronic pain, insomnia, anxiety, arthritis, and cancer-related symptoms, not experimenting recreationally or using it recklessly.”

The New Frontier study found that overwhelmingly, consumers that use THC report that they use the plant for a specific reason. An astounding 83 percent said they use cannabis/THC to relax and unwind, while 61 percent said they use it to improve their sleep.

What was very interesting was that consumption numbers were NOT higher in legal states.

So, 74 percent of Americans live in a place where cannabis is legal either for medical and/or recreational use, but the New Frontier study showed that consumption habits of survey respondents remained the SAME regardless of location, and that means including states where cannabis is still illegal.

Respondents were also asked whether they considered their cannabis consumption to be recreational or medical, and although a small majority (58%) described themselves as recreational consumers, with 42 percent identifying their usage as medical, roughly 53 percent said they consume for both purposes. And, 37 percent said that, over the last year, they’ve increased their consumption.

The study also showed that, of those who said their use was medical, 46 percent reported using cannabis to help treat chronic pain, but treating migraines, PTSD, arthritis, and neuropathy were also commonly featured on that list.

When it comes to cannabis, there is no partisan divide…

Cannabis is being used by those on both sides of the partisan divide. The study showed a three-way split: 36% of identified as liberal, 29% as conservative, and 28% as independent.

The numbers will only continue to rise…

All recent studies echo the same message: More and more Americans are using cannabis/THC, whether it’s legal or illegal and in various forms… and a large percentage are grandparents.

That’s a trend that’s expected to increase as more and more grandparents, who were once children of the 1960s and 1970s, find it effective treatment for a long list of ailments and maladies.

We hope you’ll share this article with your friends and family, especially the older members, who may still feel like there’s a stigma attached to cannabis /THC use… and there just isn’t anymore. There certainly shouldn’t be. It’s not about being intoxicated… it’s about finding relief.

Only a decade ago, the idea of cannabis being used in a nursing home might have sounded radical… dangerous even. In 2026, however, it sounding pretty darn reasonable. Seniors have evolved… and now, so must senior care.

(Thanks for taking the time to read this article. To contact the author, send emails to: martin@deltrium.com.)

DID YOU KNOW?

Seventy-percent of Deltrium customers have little or no experience using THC… that’s 70%. If you know someone who hasn’t tried THC products before, here’s an article that might be helpful:

FOR BEGINNERS: What you need to know before trying THC gummies for the first time.