Prevalence and Frequency of Cannabis Use Among Adults Ages 50-80 in the United States

Introduction: Legal access to and attitudes toward cannabis are changing rapidly. Most of the United States and territories allow adults to use medical and/or recreational cannabis. Recent trends demonstrate increasing cannabis use among older U.S. adults. However, little research has examined cannabis use among older adults since 2019, when the COVID-19 pandemic caused major changes in patterns of substance use.

Methods: The National Poll on Healthy Aging is a nationally cross-sectional survey that asked U.S. adults ages 50–80 in January 2021 about their cannabis use in the past year. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify demographic and health characteristics associated with cannabis use.

Results: Among 2023 participants aged 50–80 (52.7% female), 12.1% reported cannabis use in the past year. Among those who reported cannabis use, 34.2% reported using cannabis products 4 or more days per week. In multivariable logistic regression, cannabis use was less likely among people who identified as Hispanic ethnicity or as “other” races compared with non-Hispanic white respondents. Cannabis use was more likely among unmarried/unpartnered and unemployed respondents. Those who consumed alcohol were more likely to use cannabis.

Conclusions: More than one in 10 U.S. adults aged 50–80 used cannabis in the 1st year of the COVID-19 pandemic, and many used cannabis frequently. As access to and use of cannabis continue to increase nationally, clinicians and policymakers should monitor and address the potential risks among older adults.