Between 2021 and 2023, cannabis use among Americans 65 and older went up 46%, according to a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. Jim Axelrod reports from a retirement community outside San Francisco.

Rio Vista

A rising trend among seniors in the United States shows increased marijuana use, particularly in communities like the Trilogy Retirement Community near San Francisco. Between 2021 and 2023, cannabis use among Americans aged 65 and older rose by 46 percent, with many seniors using it to address issues such as chronic pain, PTSD, and relaxation. 

While some seniors report positive experiences with cannabis, medical professionals caution that marijuana, whether smoked or consumed as edibles, may pose risks to cardiovascular health. Despite these warnings, the growing legalization of cannabis for both medical and recreational use has contributed to reduced stigma and greater acceptance among older adults.

Why more seniors are using marijuana

Don Sorrells is going to a party and doesn't want to show up empty-handed. Now, son, in goes peanuts. So he's making peanut brittle using an old family recipe with a modern-day twist. But now you got a new ingredient. Yeah, we added the marijuana, yeah. The party Don's attending is an old-school pot party, although this one has a new wrinkle. It's at the Trilogy Retirement Community, an hour east of San Francisco, where lately the golf course has a new competitor for popularity. This is the old style of rolling a joint. Cannabis. Gail Crawley, the host of the party, is 74 and not at all surprised by some new numbers. Between 2021 and 2023, cannabis use among Americans 65 and older went up 46 percent. Does that surprise you at all? No. Why not? Because cannabis is a good solution to a lot of medicinal issues. And with cannabis now legal in 40 states for medical use and 24 for recreational, the stigma is gone. I've never smoked a cigarette, a joint. When it comes to his cannabis, Stephen Clark is strictly an edibles guy. You're in. You're a cannabis guy. What is it about cannabis that you're drawn to? That it does work on PTSD, pain issues, relaxation issues, brain disorders, heart disease. That's his experience. But some medical professionals think differently. If they are smoking marijuana, we can be pretty confident that they're harming their cardiovascular system. Professor Matt Springer at UC San Francisco has a warning. The active ingredient in marijuana may carry health risks no matter how seniors get it. Smoking it, gummies, even peanut brittle. For people who get their THC through edibles, what does your study suggest? It suggests that they might be having an adverse, a harmful effect on their cardiovascular system. If they're eating THC, they're not without risk. But don't talk to Don Searles about risk. Five years after a motorcycle accident left him with chronic pain. He needs something. So there's a new study out. It shows a connection between cannabis use and cardiovascular disease. It doesn't surprise me. I go to my doctor and he says, geez, quit drinking milk. Stay away from the sugar. What isn't bad for you nowadays? But despite the warnings, these seniors are happy just the way they are. High and retiring. For Eye on America, I'm Jim Axelrod in Rio Vista, California.

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