The number of older people receiving treatment for cannabis-related health problems has increased over the past five years, with rates twice as high in areas where the drug is legal.
Researchers from the FDA and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services analyzed the insurance claims of 56 million Americans in about two dozen states enrolled in Medicare, the national insurance for people 65 and older.
They found that hospital and doctor visits for any type of marijuana-related healthcare problem increased between 2017 and 2022, regardless of the drug’s legal status in the United States.
However, rates were about twice as high in states where marijuana is legal for both recreational and medical use for adults.
The researchers said their data suggest that increasing rates of medical care for marijuana-related disorders among older adults could be associated with the type of cannabis legalization.
In states where marijuana is illegal, health care visits among Americans age 65 and older were about 28 per 10,000 people with Medicare.
In states where it is legal for medical purposes, the rate of hospital and doctor visits was 41.5 per 10,000 people and in states where both recreational and medical use is legal, the rate was 45 per 10,000 Medicare beneficiaries.
Rates were higher for non-emergency hospital visits in all states, such as outpatient and inpatient medical treatments.
A similar Canadian study A study published earlier this year found that after the country legalized the drug, the number of emergency room visits by people over 65 for marijuana poisoning increased sharply.
The results showed that poisonings doubled after Canada legalized the sale of cannabis flower and tripled 15 months later, when edibles were legalized.
Investigators said the older people used the drug intentionally, although some used marijuana by accident.
A seperation study Symptoms found of marijuana poisoning in the elderly include dizziness, confusion, nausea, loss of coordination and balance, fatigue, and hallucinations.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services My dear In 2022, eight percent of people age 65 and older reported using marijuana in the past year, an increase from three percent in 2016.
In the United States, marijuana is completely legal – for recreational and medicinal use – in 29 states. It is completely illegal in four states.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services estimated in 2022 that eight percent of people age 65 and older reported using marijuana in the past year.
The laws in the remaining states are mixed, meaning the drug may be permitted for medicinal use, permitted only in the form of CBD oil, decriminalized, or a combination of these.
The decriminalization of marijuana means that penalties for cannabis-related crimes will be reduced. In some states, possession of marijuana in certain amounts, which vary from state to state, may be considered more of a traffic violation.
Penalties may include fines, but will not result in arrest, imprisonment, or a criminal record for first-time possession of a small amount for personal use.
Regardless of state law, a real estate witch and Leafly report published in April found that about 62 percent of Americans have tried marijuana. Fifty-five percent support the legalization of the drug and a third would prefer to use cannabis than drink alcohol.
Support for legalization was highest in the Midwest at 61 percent and lowest in the South at 44 percent.
However, another Gallup poll from September 2023 found that 70 percent of Americans believe the drug should be legal, a new national record.
Cannabis advocates say the drug has health and social benefits and that making it illegal does little to stop its use and only leads to high levels of pointless incarceration, often of young black men.
Despite widespread support, 23 percent of Americans still oppose legalization, and cannabis opponents argue that widespread use leads to higher rates of mental health problems, substance abuse (especially among teens and adults young people) and more drugged drivers on the roads, causing car accidents.