The American Medical Association released a federally-funded study that found the majority of older adults seeking marijuana are doing so in order to avoid side effects caused by traditional drugs or have exhausted all other treatment options for conditions such as pain or sleeping disorders.
This study was published on JAMA Network open Friday. It examined what motivated older adults to grow into the largest demographic of cannabis users in the U.S. Researchers from the University of Utah Health, and University of Colorado Boulder looked into the product preferences of older adults interested in trying marijuana.
For the community-based, qualitative study—which was supported by funds from the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—researchers interviewed 169 adults aged 60 or older who were “seeking relief from age-related ailments (eg, pain or difficulty sleeping) and improved quality of life.”
While the underlying trend of seniors increasingly turning to marijuana has been widely reported, “little is known about the motivations and factors that influence their use of edible cannabis and product choice,” the study authors said.
This study suggests that older adults increasingly use cannabis to manage symptoms.
The interviews analyzed for the study—which took place from November 2021 to November 2023 as part of a broader clinical trial—offer preliminary answers to the question about motivations.
The study’s authors noted that “many participants expressed a resistance to using conventional pharmaceutical treatments.” The participants expressed concerns over adverse reactions, long-term risks or dependence associated with pharmaceutical drugs and saw cannabis as an alternative.
They said that participants also indicated they were exhausted by all non-pharmaceutical and pharmacologic treatment options, such as therapy, acupuncture or massage. As a result, they wanted to use cannabis only in a desperate attempt at symptom relief. Participants who had significant mental and physical health issues sought cannabis as a way to manage their new symptoms or worsening ones related to mood, sleep, or pain.
Older adults are motivated by concerns over adverse effects or ineffectiveness from medications they’ve tried.
Some older patients were also motivated to use cannabis after hearing about its benefits through “personal networks, media, or medical discussions.” Some interviewees stated that they would like to try marijuana for recreational purposes, including getting high and socializing with friends. Others said it was an alternative substance to alcohol.
Rebecca Delaney is an assistant professor of Population Health Sciences at University of Utah Health and co-author of the study.
The authors of the AMA paper said that older adults are most likely to buy a cannabis combination product. However, the distribution of motives is different depending on the type or product they intend to purchase.
A combination of THC with non-intoxicating CBD is preferred by 58 percent older adults, while CBD products are chosen by 29 percent and THC edibles, 14 percent.
Participants cited “concerns about being high or impaired” as the “most common drawback” for cannabis products containing a mixture of THC, CBD and/or CBD-dominant. CBD products were cited as the most problematic due to the perceived “limited effectiveness.”
The study—which received funding from the National Institute of Aging under NIH—also found that the most common health conditions older adults wanted to use cannabis for were sleep (57 percent), pain (50 percent) and mental health (25 percent).
The use of cannabis by older adults as a health alternative was cited.
We found that most people were not interested in getting high. Angela Bryan is the senior author and said that they just wanted to feel better.
According to the conclusion of the study, “as marijuana legalization spreads more widely, older adults will increasingly turn to cannabis not only for recreational purposes, but also to help manage symptoms related to aging including sleep disorders, pain and mental health issues.”
The report stated that, “without medical consultation they are forced to make many decisions about which products will meet their specific needs.”
In light of the fact that the combination of CBD-THC is the most commonly selected product profile, further research into the possible benefits and harms associated with this treatment could help to inform the development of clinical guidelines. The future efforts must focus on providing clinicians with useful tools, and making patient resources accessible so that older adults are able to make informed decisions about the edible cannabis products they use as part of their treatment.
Delaney is one of the authors. “Our ultimate goal is developing resources that help people find products and make better decisions. We also want to determine how to provide information to both patients and doctors,” Delaney stated. We would love to have more conversations between doctors and patients about alternative pain relief methods.
A recent study of more than 3500 patients revealed that the use medical marijuana helps people to reduce their other prescription medications such as opioids, sleep aids, and antidepressants. The side effects are also much less severe when switching to cannabis instead of prescription drugs.
About one in three Americans who use CBD say they take it as an alternative or supplement to at least one medication—particularly painkillers—according to a federally funded study published in February.
A recent federally-funded study published by AMA also added to the evidence that marijuana could be an alternative for opioids when treating chronic pain.
Other AMA-published research has found that legalizing marijuana for medical or recreational purposes is “significantly associated with reduced opioid use among patients diagnosed with cancer.”
A separate paper published in October similarly found that medical marijuana legalization is “associated with significant reductions in opioid prescribing.”
In Arizona, senior citizens in independent living communities may soon have a new kind of service in their neighborhood: Kiosks that allow them to buy and view marijuana products at licensed dispensaries.
For what it’s worth, President Donald Trump last year shared a video promoting the health benefits of cannabis—suggesting that covering CBD under Medicare would be “the most important senior health initiative of the century.”