San Diego, California – As America’s largest generation ages into retirement, many baby boomers are embracing a surprising shift: trying cannabis for the first time. Once the demographic most opposed to marijuana legalization, boomers are now experimenting with the plant, hoping it can ease chronic pain and other ailments that come with growing older.
A new study from the UC San Diego School of Medicine, published June 2 in JAMA Internal Medicine, highlights the rapid change. Among adults aged 65 and older, cannabis use climbed from just 0.4% in 2005 to 7.4% in 2023. Researchers found particularly strong increases among women, those who are married, college-educated, and financially stable.
Dr. Benjamin Han, a geriatrician and lead author of the study, said the shift is partly due to the steady wave of cannabis legalization across the country. But there’s more behind it than just legality. “There’s been a lot of interest in cannabis to treat chronic symptoms, chronic diseases, especially among older adults,” Han said…