A new study supported by AARP shows that marijuana use by older people in the U.S. has nearly doubled in the last three years—with most saying they use cannabis to relieve pain, help with sleep, improve mental health and achieve other benefits.
More than 1 in 5 Americans aged 50 and older now say they’ve used marijuana at least once in the past year, according to the survey conducted by the University of Michigan, while more than 1 in 10 consumed cannabis at least monthly. Researchers say they expect use rates among older adults to continue to increase as more states legalize.
Among respondents who did use cannabis within the past year, 81 percent said it was to relax, 68 percent reported using the drug as a sleep aid and 64 percent said it was simply to enjoy marijuana’s effects and feel good. Another 63 percent said they used cannabis for pain relief, while 53 percent said they used it to promote mental health.
AARP, which supported the study, noted that the 21 percent of Americans over 50 who now report using marijuana in the past year represents an increase in use among older adults nationally—nearly double the 12 percent
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