Older marijuana users are ending up in emergency rooms at higher rates since legal cannabis products — and in particular, edible cannabis products, like gummies — have become more broadly available, according to new research out of Canada.
The findings, published May 20 in JAMA Internal Medicine, align with trends in the U.S., where edible cannabis is also behind an increasing proportion of cannabis poisonings in older adults.
According to the latest study, the rate of emergency room visits for adults 65 and older in Canada rose from a pre-legalization rate of 5.8 per 100,000 to 21.1 per 100,000 after edibles were available for retail in January 2020. In total, there were 2,322 ER visits across Canada from 2015 through 2022, according to the researchers.
Adverse effects of cannabis use can include dry mouth, impaired motor skills, panic, paranoia and decreased short-term memory, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Cannabis gaining popularity among older U.S. adults
About 12 percent of U.S. adults ages 50 to 80 used cannabis products in the past year — a share that has grown considerably in the last several years, according to 2023 research from the University of Michigan’s National Poll on Healthy Aging, supported by AARP. Cannabis use among U.S. adults 65 and older was at 0.4 percent in 2006 and 2007, before increasing to 2.9 percent in 2015 and 2016, according to research published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
H/T: www.aarp.org
