Older Americans are smoking more pot, study finds. Some say it’s for health – By Charles Duncan (The State) / Feb 24 2020
https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article232607187.html
More Americans 65 and older are using marijuana, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers from New York University said there was a sharp increase in cannabis use in older Americans from 2.4% in 2015 to 4.2% in 2018. That means there was a 75% jump in the number of people 65+ who had smoked or ingested some form of marijuana over a three year time frame.
“With the legalization of cannabis in many states for medical and/or recreational purposes, there is increasing interest in using cannabis to treat a variety of long-term health conditions and symptoms common among older adults,” the study’s authors wrote.
There was a 180% jump in the number of people 65 and up with diabetes using some form of cannabis, the study found. In the same age group, the number people who reported having mental health problems and using marijuana went up more than 150%, from 2.8% reporting in 2015 to 7.2% in 2018.
“Cannabis use was ascertained by asking about marijuana, hashish, pot, grass, and hash oil use either smoked or ingested,” according to the study.
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