Many older adults are turning to edible cannabis for the first time to find relief from age-related health issues. Researchers want to better understand their motivations.
A new study out of the University of Utah and University of Colorado Boulder surveyed about 170 adults in Colorado over the age of 60 about why they wanted to purchase edible cannabis products.
This cohort was primarily seeking to manage pain, sleep or health concerns.
“A lot of older adults are turning to cannabis, and it's not necessarily to get high,” said Rebecca Delaney, an assistant professor of population health sciences at the University of Utah, and the lead author on a new study analyzing the survey results in JAMA Network Open. “It's really because they just want a better quality of life and to spend more time with families and friends.”
Respondents most commonly expressed interest in trying cannabis as an alternative to pharmaceutical medications and because they had exhausted other interventions.
“They essentially started to run out of options and wanted to turn to something new,” said Delaney.
Delaney said her team’s goal was to uncover how older adults are weighing decisions about cannabis to help them navigate tradeoffs, as there’s uncertainty over the efficacy of various products. Some of the respondents, for example, were concerned about impairment from THC.
“Particularly among older adults, there's risk of falling and injuries that can result,” Delaney added. “So, making sure that they are mindful of that, maybe talking through dosages.”
Researchers learned that many older adults don’t disclose their cannabis use with their doctors but believe that the survey results could prepare physicians to provide better guidance to their patients.
Within the Mountain West, cannabis is legal for recreational use in Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico and Arizona. But how seniors consider these products for medical ailments may differ in states with tighter regulations. In Utah, patients must have a medical card to buy cannabis, while it remains illegal in Idaho and Wyoming.
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Boise State Public Radio, Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Northern Colorado, KANW in New Mexico, Colorado Public Radio and KJZZ in Arizona as well as NPR, with support from affiliate newsrooms across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
