Study: Seniors Report That Cannabis Positively Impacts Their Quality of Life

Originally published at blog.NORML.org

Seniors who report the use of cannabis over the past year say that it improves their overall quality of life, according to survey data published in the journal Gerontology & Geriatric Medicine.

Researchers from the University of Colorado School of Medicine surveyed 274 older respondents (mean age = 72.5 years) regarding their cannabis use patterns. Authors reported, “Past year marijuana users reported improved overall health, quality of life, day-to-day functioning, and improvement in pain.” Respondents were most likely to report using cannabis to treat symptoms associated with arthritis as well as back pain, anxiety, and depression. Respondents also frequently reported consuming various formulations of cannabis, such as edibles and topical products.

Authors concluded, “[S]urveyed older persons aged more than 60 who have legal access to recreational and medical marijuana described multiple patterns of use of marijuana in the past year, and the majority felt that marijuana use had an overall positive impact on their quality of life.”

The findings are similar to those of prior surveys showing increasing rates of cannabis use among seniors, many of whom report that it provides significant improvements in their quality of life.

The abstract of the study, “Patterns of marijuana use and health impact: A survey among older Coloradoans,” appears online here.