A research study from the University of Michigan suggests an increase in cannabis usage amongst older Americans, with 12% reporting THC use in the previous year and 4% using it several times a week. The NPHA in 2017 found that 6% of older adults had actually utilized cannabis for medical purposes.In the brand-new study, in addition to the 4% who said they use marijuana products four or more times a week, another 5% stated they use cannabis when a month or less. It did not separate in between leisure and medical use of cannabis.Demographics and Dual-Substance UseOlder adults who stated they were unemployed, those who stated they were single and had no partner, and those who said they drank alcohol were more most likely to say they utilized cannabis.Fernandez notes an especially concerning finding: those whose alcohol usage was high enough to cause physical and psychological harm were almost eight times as likely to say they had utilized cannabis in the past year.
A research study from the University of Michigan shows an increase in marijuana usage among older Americans, with 12% reporting THC use in the previous year and 4% utilizing it numerous times a week. This boost is particularly noticable in individuals with dangerous alcohol intake routines. The research study, which examined data from a national survey, underscores the need for enhanced screening and education about the dangers of marijuana, particularly among vulnerable older adults.New study reveals greater cannabis usage amongst individuals over 50 considering that the state-level and pandemic legalization, particularly noteworthy in individuals with dangerous alcohol usage levels.The usage of marijuana amongst older Americans has increased since the pandemic. A current research study focusing on individuals aged 50 to 80 exposes that 12% have actually utilized a THC-containing product in the last year, with 4% utilizing it several times a week. Significantly, those who consume alcohol at levels thought about dangerous program a significantly greater rate of marijuana usage.The brand-new findings, released in the journal Cannabis and Cannabinoids Research by a team from the University of Michigans Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation, recommend a need for more education and screening of older grownups for cannabis-related threats.”As the tension of the pandemic and the increased legalization of cannabis by states converged, our findings recommend marijuana use increased amongst older adults nationally. Older grownups represent a vulnerable age group for marijuana usage due to interactions with medications, risky driving, cannabis-related psychological health effects, and increased possibility of falls and memory concerns,” said Anne Fernandez, Ph.D., a dependency psychologist in the U-M Addiction Center and Department of Psychiatry who led the study.Data Sources and Comparative AnalysisThe data in the study come from the National Poll on Healthy Aging, which IHPI runs with financing from AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-Ms academic medical. The national survey of 2,023 older grownups was taken in January 2021, nine months into the main pandemic statement and simply as the first COVID-19 vaccines were being offered to the groups at the greatest risk.The 12% overall past-year use of cannabis seen in the brand-new research study is higher than the 9.5% seen in 2019 by other researchers pre-pandemic, and far higher than the 3% seen in another study in 2006 when only 12 states had actually passed medical cannabis laws. The NPHA in 2017 discovered that 6% of older grownups had actually used cannabis for medical purposes.In the brand-new research study, in addition to the 4% who stated they utilize cannabis products 4 or more times a week, another 5% stated they use cannabis once a month or less. The poll question inquired about usage of any product consisting of THC, the primary psychedelic component of marijuana– including edibles– and used several typical names for marijuana. It did not separate in between recreational and medical usage of cannabis.Demographics and Dual-Substance UseOlder grownups who said they were unemployed, those who said they were single and had no partner, and those who said they consumed alcohol were more most likely to state they utilized cannabis.Fernandez notes an especially worrying finding: those whose alcohol usage was high enough to cause physical and mental damage were nearly 8 times as likely to say they had actually used cannabis in the previous year. However even those with low-risk alcohol drinking patterns were more than two times as most likely to say they had utilized cannabis in the previous year.This group of dual-substance users is one that medical professionals and public health officials ought to pay special attention to, she stated.”Other research has actually revealed that utilizing both alcohol and cannabis increases the chance that an individual will drive while impaired,” she discussed. “They are likewise most likely to have physical and psychological health issues, including compound use conditions. Screening for alcohol use, cannabis use, and other substance abuse could assist more individuals get counseling and decrease their risk and threat to others.”Ethnicity and Health Care RecommendationsWhile there were no analytical differences among older adults by age, health or psychological health education, earnings, or status, those who said they had Hispanic backgrounds were less likely than non-Hispanic older grownups to say they utilized cannabis. Fernandez says this follows other research showing lower cannabis use in the Latino community.She advises any older adult who selects to use marijuana items for any reason to be open with their healthcare supplier about it, particularly if they also consume alcohol or take certain medications. Physicians, nurse professionals, and pharmacists can recommend if any medications an individual is taking might connect with marijuana, consisting of ones for anxiety, anxiety, and sleeping disorders, opioid-containing discomfort medications, seizure medications, and blood thinners.Reference: “Prevalence and Frequency of Cannabis Use Among Adults Ages 50– 80 in the United States” by Anne C. Fernandez, Lara Coughlin, Erica S. Solway, Dianne C. Singer, Jeffrey T. Kullgren, Matthias Kirch and Preeti N. Malani, 20 November 2023, Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research.DOI: 10.1089/ can.2023.0056 For more about the survey approach, see https://www.healthyagingpoll.org/survey-methodsIn addition to Fernandez, the research studys authors are U-M dependency psychologist Lara Coughlin, Ph.D., survey deputy director Erica S. Solway, Ph.D., survey manager Dianne C. Singer, poll director Jeffrey T. Kullgren, M.D., M.S., M.P.H., poll data lead Matthias Kirch, M.S. and Preeti N. Malani, M.D., previous poll director and current poll senior advisor.In addition to the poll funding, Fernandez has research study financing from the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (AA023869).
