Experts warn of surge in seniors hooked on weed… as new figures show twice as many people over 65 seek help in states where it’s legal

The number of seniors being treated for cannabis-related health problems has skyrocketed in the US since 2017, with rates twice as high in areas where the drug is legal.

Researchers from the FDA and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services analyzed insurance claims from 56 million Americans age 65 and older in about 20 states.

They found that medical visits for all types of marijuana-related problems, including cannabis addiction or poisoning, increased in the United States between 2017 and 2022, regardless of the drug’s legal status.

And the numbers were highest for non-emergency hospital visits across all states, such as outpatient and inpatient medical treatments.

While marijuana use may be less common among seniors, doctors say it is happening, but “ageism and bias” are causing people to believe otherwise and putting seniors at risk for marijuana-related health problems.

Dr. Nathan Stall, a geriatrician at Mount Sinai Hospital and researcher at Women’s College Hospital in Toronto who led a similar study in Canada, told The New York Times: ‘It’s somewhat in the shadows, and there’s a certain ageism and bias in the idea that older adults don’t use drugs.’

Dr. Stall, who has treated “barely conscious” elderly patients in emergency rooms, said he’s seeing more poisonings in the elderly, either by accident or because they’ve taken too much and don’t know the right dosage if they want to try marijuana.

Older people process the drug differently than young users, and today’s marijuana strains are much more potent than in the past. Seniors may underestimate how many medications they actually use.

Plus, they’re more likely to be taking other medications that could negatively impact marijuana, Dr. Stall added.

In states where marijuana is illegal, U.S. researchers found that the rate of health care visits among Americans 65 and older was about 28 per 10,000 Medicare enrollees in 2022, an increase of 180 percent since 2017.

In states where it is legal for medical purposes, the rate of hospital and doctor visits was 41.5 per 10,000 people – an increase of 177 percent – ​​and in states where both recreational and medical use is legal, the rate was 45 per 10,000 Medicare -beneficiaries.

This represented a 50 percent increase over 2017 rates.

A similar Canadian study published earlier this year found that after the country legalized the drug, the number of emergency room visits for marijuana poisoning among people over 65 rose sharply.

The results showed that the number of poisonings doubled after Canada legalized the sale of the cannabis flower, and tripled 15 months later when edibles were legalized.

Investigators said the seniors used the drug intentionally, although some accidentally consumed marijuana.

A special one study The symptoms of cannabis poisoning in the elderly have been found to be dizziness, confusion, nausea, loss of coordination and balance, fatigue and hallucinations.

Substance abuse and mental health care estimated in 2022, eight percent of people aged 65 and older reported using marijuana in the past year – up from three percent in 2016.

In the United States, marijuana is fully legal – for recreational and medicinal use – in 29 states. It is completely illegal in four states.

The laws in the remaining states are mixed, meaning the drug may be allowed for medicinal use, only allowed in the form of CBD oil, decriminalized, or a combination of these.

Decriminalizing marijuana means reducing penalties for cannabis-related offenses. In some states, possession of marijuana in a certain amount, which varies by state, can be treated more like a traffic violation.

Penalties may include fines, but do not result in an arrest, jail time, or criminal record for first possession of a small amount of money for personal use.

Regardless of state law, a real estate witch and Leafly report A survey published in April found that about 62 percent of Americans have tried marijuana. Fifty-five percent support legalizing the drug and a third would rather 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, a separate September 2023 Gallup poll found that 70 percent of Americans believe the drug should be legal — a new national high.

Cannabis advocates say the drug has health and social benefits and that making it illegal does little to stop consumption and only leads to many senseless incarcerations, often of young black men.

Despite widespread support, 23 percent of Americans still oppose legalization, with cannabis opponents claiming that widespread use leads to higher rates of mental health problems, substance abuse – especially among teens and young adults – and more stoned drivers on the road, causing car accidents.