Cannabis use is becoming increasingly common among older adults in the United States, but less is known about how often cannabis use may become problematic in this population. A new study from University of California San Diego School of Medicine finds that among the estimated 8.9% of adults age 65 and older who used cannabis in the past year, more than one in nine (11.4%) met the criteria for cannabis use disorder (CUD), a pattern of cannabis use that causes problems or interferes with daily life. The study was published on Sept. 28, 2026, in the journal Addiction .
Older adults may be at greater risk for some harms associated with cannabis use because of age-related changes in the body, as well as the higher prevalence of chronic diseases and use of prescription medications in this population. Previous studies have linked cannabis use among older adults to increased risk for chronic diseases, cognitive impairment, falls, cannabis poisoning and cannabis-related emergency health care visits. However, less research has examined cannabis use disorder among older adults.
“While there is a lot of attention on how cannabis may help common chronic symptoms older adults experience or the possible acute adverse effects in this population, less focus has been on cannabis use disorder,” said Benjamin Han, MD, assistant professor at UC San Diego School of Medicine and lead author of the study. “It is important to recognize that any psychoactive substance, including cannabis, can lead to a harmful pattern of use, including among older adults.”
The researchers analyzed data from the 2021–2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, a nationally representative survey of U.S. residents. The analysis included 21,189 adults aged 65 and older. Among older adults who reported using cannabis in the past 12 months, 11.4% met criteria for CUD — spending time obtaining, using and recovering from the drug’s effects (74.4%) and craving (67.5%). Of those, 76% had mild CUD, 20.1% had moderate CUD and 3.9% had severe CUD.
Smoking was the most common way older adults used cannabis, reported by 65.8% of those who used cannabis in the past year, followed by eating or drinking cannabis products (40.5%) and vaping (15.4%). About one in five (19.9%) older adults who used cannabis in the past year said a doctor had recommended some or all of their cannabis use.
The likelihood of CUD was greater among older adults who used cannabis more frequently. Those who used cannabis for at least 300 days in the past year were almost four times more likely to meet criteria for CUD than those who used it less frequently. Smoking cannabis was also strongly associated with CUD in this population. CUD was also more common among older adults with past-year mental illness, tobacco use and use of drugs other than cannabis.
Among older adults who met Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM)-5 criteria for CUD, the most commonly reported activity included spending a great deal of time obtaining or using cannabis (74.4%), craving (67.5%) and tolerance (48.3%). The researchers note that most cases were mild, suggesting an opportunity for early intervention, while nearly a quarter were moderate or severe.
The findings highlight the importance of screening older adults for unhealthy cannabis use and discussing cannabis use as part of routine health care, particularly as cannabis becomes more widely available and is increasingly used for medical and other health-related reasons.
Read the full study: “ Cannabis Use and Cannabis Use Disorder among Older Adults in the United States ”
Additional co-authors on the study include: Evan Eschliman from Duke University. Joseph Palamar from New York University. Mireia Triguero Roura and Pia Mauro from Rutgers Health.
The research was supported by multiple grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the UC San Diego Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging.
Authors declare no competing interests.
Addiction