Considering Cannabis?

As more seniors embrace marijuana, here’s what you should know

Fact checked by Jim Lacy

Cannabis isn’t what it was 30 years ago. Once the target of anti-drug campaigns, it now appears in flashy ads from celebrities or influencers.  In the 40 U.S. states where marijuana is legal for medical or recreational purposes, including as non-alcoholic alternatives at bars, some cafes even offer THC shots to kickstart the day.

Yet, as cannabis has entered mainstream culture and moved beyond strictly medical spaces, one group is often left out of the conversation: older adults. Cannabinoids can relieve chronic pain, insomnia, nausea, and other age-related ailments, making them particularly relevant to seniors. And in recent years, this demographic has embraced cannabis with rising popularity. About 7% of adults 65 and older reported using cannabis in the past month, up from 4.8% in 2021, according to a 2023 JAMA study. Still, misconceptions and stigmas can hinder safe and effective use.

“It’s just like starting any medication, diet, or therapy. You have to find the one that works for you.”

“It’s just a really complex substance,” says Leslie Mendoza Temple, MD, chair of the Illinois Medical Cannabis Advisory Board and medical director of integrative medicine at Endeavor Health. “It takes so much more time to explain than a script for something that you know and have used forever as a physician.”

Determining dosage

The cannabis plant contains more than 100 cannabinoids. Dispensaries carry only a handful, but their applications vary widely. People can smoke cannabis products or use them as tinctures, balms, or gummies. Their effects extend beyond the psychoactive high typically associated with marijuana. Two of the most common cannabinoids for medical use, THCA and CBD, have no psychoactive effect.

“It’s useful to think of cannabis and the cannabinoids that come from [it] as a series of different medicines, depending on how you use them,” says Reginald Gaudino, PhD, director of the Cannabis Research Institute at the University of Illinois. For example, THCA products may reduce inflammation from arthritis or reduce nausea from chemotherapy. At the same time, CBD may ease insomnia-inducing anxiety, especially in combination with low doses of THC.

Determining the correct type, dosage, and application is an individualized process. Marina Frugoli, community relations and marketing manager with the senior care company Homewatch CareGivers, helps clients understand the benefits of cannabis. She emphasizes starting with intention.

“I start that conversation with your goal. What do you want to use this for?” Frugoli says. From there, it can take experimentation to find the cannabinoid that meets that goal. “It’s just like starting any medication, diet, or therapy. You have to find the one that works for you, and it may not be right for you.”

Balancing medications

Consulting a medical professional before using cannabis is especially important for seniors managing age-related health conditions. Dizziness and confusion, for example, can worsen when using psychoactive cannabis products. As marijuana potency has increased over the years, older adults may experience stronger effects than expected.

Pre-existing conditions and prescription medications are other considerations. About 40% of adults 65 and older take at least five prescription drugs at once, and cannabis can interact adversely with some medications. Research also links cannabis use to potential cardiovascular risks.

Risks are not unique to cannabis, but the medical community’s hesitation can amplify concerns about them. “There’s still lots of apprehension,” Temple says. “There are so many other treatments we’re accustomed to prescribing. Plus, you’re always going to be colored by your own stigma about it.”

Even so, stigma should not overshadow cannabis’s potential benefits for seniors. About 1 in 8 adults 65 and older takes a prescription opioid, according to the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Cannabis can serve as a safer alternative to opioids and other high-risk medications, such as benzodiazepines.

Frugoli has witnessed this first-hand. “What I’ve been seeing in my everyday job, seniors are using it [cannabis] a lot for pain management. Instead of using opioids, they’re now using cannabis.”

If you’re curious about cannabis, start with questions, not assumptions. Talk to your doctor and do your research. After all, aging well often means adapting — and sometimes, that means seeing an old taboo in a new light.

Originally published in the Winter/Spring 2026 print issue.