To learn more about cannabis use in older adults, researchers turned to the Veterans Affairs Cannabis and Aging Study, which follows a national cohort of veterans.
A groundbreaking study published in JAMA Network Open has revealed that more than one in ten veterans aged 65 to 84 used cannabis within the past month, highlighting a significant trend among older military veterans.
Researchers from the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) analyzed data from a cohort of 4,503 community-dwelling veterans, finding that 10.3% had used cannabis in the previous 30 days—a rate now comparable to tobacco use in this population.
"This represents a dramatic shift in cannabis use patterns among older adults," said Dr. Eleanor Pravosud, the study's lead author. "We're seeing prevalence rates that have increased from less than 1% in 2005 to over 10% in our veteran population."
The study found that 57.4% of participants reported lifetime cannabis use, with nearly 29% using it specifically for medical purposes. Among those using cannabis for medical reasons, pain management was the primary motivation (56.4%), followed by mental health concerns (18.4%) and sleep problems (16%).
More concerning to researchers was the discovery that over 36% of recent cannabis users met the criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD), with most cases classified as mild (22.9%) or moderate (10.9%). Risk factors for developing CUD included being on the younger side of the cohort (ages 65-75), using inhaled rather than edible cannabis, having anxiety symptoms, or experiencing functional impairments.
Top Health Resources for 2023
Discover the best tools and resources that industry professionals recommend.
