Over-50s Americans were polled on their cannabis use A poll of Americans aged 50 and over on their use of cannabis has provided some interesting insights into how often they use the drug, how and why they use it, and the behaviors they engage in while under the influence.

Cannabis has been legalized for medical and/or recreational use in over half of US states. Obtained from the leaves, flowers, stems and seeds of the cannabis plant, cannabis is a psychoactive or mind-altering drug mainly thanks to one of its constituents, THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol).

While the drug tends to be associated with younger generations, researchers from the Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation (IHPI) at the University of Michigan sought to gauge its popularity among older Americans.

From February through March 2024, as part of the Michigan Poll on Healthy Aging, a representative sample of Americans aged 50 and over was asked about their cannabis use, reasons for using, whether they’d engaged in any risky behaviors after using the drug, and whether they’d discussed their cannabis use with a healthcare provider. The poll only asked people about their use of THC-containing products, not CBD-only ones.

Here’s what the poll revealed: In the past year, 21% of Americans aged 50 and over used cannabis, such as flower, vape, edibles, and dabs (see below).

In that period, 9% used it ‘once or twice’ and 12% used it at least once a month.

On the other hand, 79% of older Americans reported not using cannabis in the past year.

Edibles, like these gummies, were the preferred method of taking cannabis The preferred methods of taking cannabis were edibles or beverages (74% of those polled) and flower (58%). Less popular were lotions or skincare products containing cannabis (34%), vapes (26%), and dabs or other concentrates (19%). ‘Dabbing’ is a relatively new method of using cannabis. It involves inhaling what’s referred to as a ‘dab,’ a small amount of cannabis extract (primarily concentrated butane hash oil) with THC levels that can be very high.

When asked why they used cannabis, the overwhelming response was to relax (81%), followed by to help […]

21% of older Americans used cannabis in the past year