Researchers Find Older Adults Rarely Discuss Cannabis Use With Clinicians

Most older adults report that they don't receive drug screenings, according to a Rutgers Health study

Fewer than one in five adults older than 65 report discussing their cannabis use with clinicians, according to Rutgers Health researchers.

Their study, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, explored the prevalence of conversations between patients and clinicians about cannabis use and its potential harms.

Research shows an increase in the number of older adults who use cannabis, with 10.5% of adults older than 65 reporting using cannabis in the past year, according to reports from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

"Cannabis use is on the rise; therefore it's crucial for physicians to facilitate important conversations about the potential consequences of cannabis, especially for older adults and those with chronic diseases," said Pia Mauro, a core member of the Center for Pharmacoepidemiology and Treatment Science at the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research and lead author of the study.

Cannabis use is on the rise; therefore it's crucial for physicians to facilitate important conversations about the potential consequences of cannabis, especially for older adults and those with chronic diseases.

Pia Mauro

Core Member, Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research

Using nationally representative data derived from more than 14,000 older adults, Rutgers Health researchers analyzed reports of cannabis and other drug use, whether patients were screened for drug use and whether they had conversations with their clinicians about their drug use.

One in three older adults in the study reported being screened for cannabis or drug use by a clinician in the past year. Fewer than one in five older adults who used cannabis recreationally or medicinally reported discussing their use with a clinician.

Rutgers researchers warn that older adults need to understand cannabis use risks because aging and higher rates of chronic conditions make them more susceptible to harmful effects. But past research has reported that some clinicians feel confusion or discomfort discussing cannabis use with patients, and some desire more education on the medical use of cannabis.

"Screenings for cannabis use, which are available to clinicians and easy to implement, should be part of routine medical care for all older adults," said Mauro, who is also an associate professor of epidemiology at the Rutgers School of Public Health. "Physicians can use single-item screening questions to facilitate conversations about cannabis use during a routine visit."

The data showed even lower rates of cannabis use screenings and discussions reported by older women and older Hispanic or Latine populations. Researchers said these findings could be attributed to less frequent use of cannabis by women and systemic barriers facing marginalized populations.

In addition to further research on gender and racial gaps, researchers recommend conducting studies that incorporate restricted data with geographic information, which would allow findings to be analyzed within the context of varying state-level recreational cannabis laws.

Coauthors of the study include Mireia Triguero Roura of the Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research, Elsa Carey of the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and Benjamin Han of the University of California San Diego. The research was supported by multiple grants from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

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