10% of U.S. Seniors Used Cannabis in Past Day, NIDA Study Finds

NIDA Study Documents Decade-Long Surge

The NIDA-funded longitudinal study tracked cannabis use among 8,200 adults aged 65-plus across 23 states between 2016 and 2025. Researchers found past-day use climbed from 1.2% in 2006 to 10.1% in 2025, with the steepest gains occurring in states that legalized medical cannabis between 2016 and 2020. The study controlled for demographic variables including income, education, and prior substance use.

Past-month use reached 18.4% among the same cohort, more than double the 8.1% rate recorded in 2018. The data match dispensary sales trends showing seniors as the fastest-growing customer segment in mature markets like Colorado and Oregon.

Medical Conditions Drive Adoption

Chronic pain, insomnia, and arthritis were the three most-cited reasons for use, accounting for 71% of senior consumers. Sixty-four percent of senior users held valid medical cannabis cards, compared to 41% of users aged 21-64. Seniors in medical-only states were twice as likely to seek physician recommendations as those in adult-use markets.

Edibles and tinctures dominated product preferences. Smokable flower? Just 22% of senior purchases, compared to 58% among younger adults.

Regional Variation Reflects Policy Gaps

Past-day use ranged from 2.3% in states without legal access to 14.7% in states with both medical and adult-use programs. Florida seniors reported the highest medical-only usage at 12.1%, driven by the state's physician-friendly certification process and broad qualifying conditions list. Texas and Georgia, with restrictive low-THC programs, recorded the lowest rates at 1.8% and 1.4% respectively.

Seniors in border counties adjacent to legal states showed use rates 40% higher than state averages, suggesting cross-border purchasing patterns similar to those documented in Latin American medical tourism flows.

Implications for Prescribers and Policymakers

The findings arrive as Medicare Advantage plans in six states pilot cannabis-inclusive formularies for chronic pain management. Geriatric pharmacologists have flagged potential drug interactions between cannabis and common senior medications including blood thinners, benzodiazepines, and opioids. Standardized dosing guidelines and physician education programs are needed, the study's authors say.

State regulators are beginning to respond. California's Department of Cannabis Control launched a senior-focused patient education portal in August, and New York's Office of Cannabis Management added geriatric dosing requirements to its dispensary training curriculum. For context on evolving state frameworks, see the CannIntel topic hub on senior cannabis use.

What Comes Next

NIDA plans a five-year follow-up study tracking cognitive and cardiovascular outcomes among senior users. The agency allocated $4.2 million for the research phase, which will include neuroimaging and longitudinal health records analysis. Preliminary enrollment opens in Q1 2027.

The data will inform federal rescheduling discussions. DEA's proposed Schedule III classification wouldn't alter Medicare/Medicaid coverage restrictions, but it could accelerate private insurance reimbursement pilots in states with established medical programs.