More older adults in the U.S. are currently smoking, vaping and consuming cannabis products than ever before.

That’s according to a new study released this week from the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research (CDUHR) at the NYU School of Global Public Health. Using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2021 through 2023, researchers determined that 7% of adults 65 and older reported using cannabis within the last month as of the time of the survey. That number is up from 4.8% in 2021, representing a 46% increase of older adults using cannabis in the last four years.

For context, fewer than 1% of older adults reported using cannabis in 2006 and 2007.

The findings show “cannabis use among older adults continues to increase,” according to Joseph Palamar, associate professor of population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and the study’s senior author.

“Although there have been major shifts in use according to demographic and socioeconomic factors,” he said in a press release about the study.

Use of cannabis was higher in one of the 39 states where it is legal for recreational or medical purposes – an unsurprising outcome, according to the researchers. But the demographic of people whose cannabis use grew the most was among married people who are white with a college degree and $75,000 or more in annual income. Additionally, older women reported a “sharp increase” in use between 2021 and 2023, though the researchers noted older men are still more likely to use cannabis.

Significant increases in use of cannabis were also found in those living with chronic diseases that include heart issues, diabetes, hypertension, cancer and chronic pulmonary obstructive disease.

The findings may indicate that older adults are indeed using more cannabis products than they were before, but the researchers cautioned the results also could merely reflect that regular cannabis users are simply growing older with each passing year.

“As a geriatrician, I see more and more people interested in using cannabis for treating chronic health symptoms,” said study author Dr. Benjamin Han, who is an associate professor and associate chief of research in the division of geriatrics, gerontology and palliative care at the University of California San Diego. “But cannabis can complicate the management of chronic diseases and be potentially harmful if patients are not educated on its use and potential risks”

Some senior living operators have embraced letting residents use cannabis, but with some caveats surrounding where and how they can use it. And in recent years, leaders including Silverado CEO Loren Shook have touted the use of cannabis products among memory care residents as an alternative to other more potent psychoactive medication. 

“When the frontal part of your brain is affected in frontotemporal dementia or with traumatic brain injuries, [residents can experience] more difficulty with impulse control,” Silverado Senior Vice President of Clinical Services Kim Butrum told SHN in 2022. “And cannabis, in our experience, has been excellent for that.