Although several studies have examined individual-level correlates of cannabis use in later life, there is scant evidence identifying heterogeneity among older users. Using data from Colorado, this study examines variability in lifespan patterns of cannabis use among individuals aged 60 years and older. Sample respondents reported cannabis use in the past year and frequency of use in four periods of adulthood. Analyses used a multi-way contingency table to identify mutually exclusive subgroups of cannabis users based on lifetime reports of use and linear probability models to identify predictors of group identity. Three subgroups of older cannabis users were identified: new users, stop-out or intermittent users, and consistent users. The three groups varied on current use frequency and method of ingestion, as well as social and health characteristics. Screening for past history of cannabis use may help health care providers identify older adults who need health information and monitoring related to cannabis use.
AgrawalA.LynskeyM. T. (2009). Correlates of later-onset cannabis use in the National Epidemiological Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC). Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 105(1–2), 71–75. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2009.06.017
2.
AlthubaitiA. (2016). Information bias in health research: Definition, pitfalls, and adjustment methods. Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare, 9, 211–217. https://doi.org/10.2147/JMDH.S104807
3.
AroraK.QuallsS. H.BobittJ.LumH. D.MilavetzG.CrokerJ.KaskieB. (2020). Measuring attitudes toward medical and recreational cannabis among older adults in Colorado. The Gerontologist, 60(4), e232–e241. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnz054
4.
BlackP.JosephL. J. (2014). Still dazed and confused: Midlife marijuana use by the baby boom generation. Deviant Behavior, 35(10), 822–841. https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2014.889994
5.
BobittJ.QuallsS. H.SchuchmanM.WickershamR.LumH. D.AroraK.. . .KaskieB. (2019). Qualitative analysis of cannabis use among older adults in Colorado. Drugs & Aging, 36, 655–666. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-019-00665-w
6.
BriscoeJ.CasarettD. (2018). Medical marijuana use in older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 66(5), 859–863. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15346
7.
CarliniB. H.GarrettS. B.CarterG. T. (2017). Medicinal cannabis: A survey among health care providers in Washington state. American Journal of Hospice and Palliative Medicine, 34(1), 85–91. https://doi.org/10.1177/1049909115604669
8.
CellaD.RileyW.StoneA.RothrockN.ReeveB.YountS.. . . HaysR. (2010). The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) developed and tested its first wave of adult self-reported health outcome item banks: 2005-2008. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 63(11), 1179–1194. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2010.04.011
9.
CerdáM.WallM.KeyesK. M.GaleaS.HasinD. (2012). Medical marijuana laws in 50 states: Investigating the relationship between state legalization of medical marijuana and marijuana use, abuse and dependence. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 120(1–3), 22–27. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2011.06.011
10.
ChoiN. G.DiNittoD. M.MartiC. N. (2016). Older-adult marijuana users and ex-users: Comparisons of sociodemographic characteristics and mental and substance use disorders. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 165, 94–102. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.05.023
11.
ChoiN. G.DiNittoD. M.MartiC. N. (2017). Nonmedical versus medical marijuana use among three age groups of adults: Associations with mental and physical health status. The American Journal on Addictions, 26(7), 697–706. https://doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12598
12.
ChoiN. G.MartiC. N.DiNittoD. M.ChoiB. Y. (2017). Older adults’ marijuana use, injuries, and emergency department visits. The American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse, 44(2), 215–223. https://doi.org/10.1080/00952990.2017.1318891
13.
ElSohlyM. A.MehmedicZ.FosterS.GonC.ChandraS.ChurchJ. C. (2016). Changes in cannabis potency over the last two decades (1995-2014)—Analysis of current data in the United States. Biological Psychiatry, 79(7), 613–619. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2016.01.004
14.
HanB. H.PalamarJ. J. (2018). Marijuana use by middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 2015-2016. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 191, 374–381. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2018.07.006
15.
HanB. H.ShermanS.MauroP. M.MartinsS. S.RotenbergJ.PalamarJ. J. (2017). Demographic trends among older cannabis users in the United States, 2006-13. Addiction, 112(3), 516–525. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.13670
16.
HaugN. A.PadulaC. B.SottileJ. E.VandreyR.HeinzA. J.Bonn-MillerM. O. (2017). Cannabis use patterns and motives: A comparison of younger, middle-aged, and older medical cannabis dispensary patients. Addictive Behaviors, 72, 14–20. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2017.03.006
KaskieB.AyyagariP.MilavetzG.ShaneD.AroraK. (2017). The increasing use of cannabis among older Americans: A public health crisis or viable policy alternative?The Gerontologist, 57(6), 1166–1172. https://doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnw166
19.
LongJ. (1997). Regression models for categorical and limited dependent variables. Sage.
20.
LumH. D.AroraK.CrokerJ. A.QuallsS. H.SchuchmanM.BobittJ.. . . KaskieB. (2019). Patterns of marijuana use and health impact: A survey among older Coloradans. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, 5, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333721419843707
21.
MurphyF.SalesP.MurphyS.AverillS.LauN.SatoS.-O. (2015). Baby boomers and cannabis delivery systems. Journal of Drug Issues, 45(3), 293–313. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022042615580991
22.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2017). The health effects of cannabis and cannabinoids: The current state of evidence and recommendations for research. The National Academies Press. https://doi.org/10.17226/24625
23.
PhilpotL. M.EbbertJ. O.HurtR. T. (2019). A survey of the attitudes, beliefs and knowledge about medical cannabis among primary care providers. BMC Family Practice, 20, Article 17. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12875-019-0906-y
24.
ReynoldsI. R.FixenD. R.ParnesB. L.LumH. D.ShanbhagP.ChurchS.. . . OroszG. (2018). Characteristics and patterns of marijuana use in community-dwelling older adults. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 66(11), 2167–2171. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.15507
25.
RheeT. G.HarrisI. M. (2017). Gender differences in the use of complementary and alternative medicine and their association with moderate mental distress in U.S. adults with migraines/severe headaches. Headache, 57(1), 97–108. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.12986
26.
Salas-WrightC. P.VaughnM. G.Cummings-VaughnL. A.HolzerK. J.NelsonE. J.AbiNaderM.OhS. (2017). Trends and correlates of marijuana use among late middle-aged and older adults in the United States, 2002-2014. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 171, 97–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.031
27.
SchuermeyerJ.Salomonsen-SautelS.PriceR. K.BalanS.ThurstoneC.MinS.-J.SakaiJ. T. (2014). Temporal trends in marijuana attitudes, availability and use in Colorado compared to non-medical marijuana states: 2003-2011. Drug Alcohol Dependence, 140, 145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2014.04.016
28.
SchulzR.BeachS. R. (1999). Caregiving as a risk factor for mortality: The caregiver health effects study. Journal of the American Medical Association, 282, 2215–2219. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10605972
WooldridgeJ. (2001). Econometric analysis of cross section and panel data. MIT Press.
31.
WuL. T.BlazerD. G. (2011). Illicit and nonmedical drug use among older adults: A review. Journal of Aging and Health, 23(3), 481–504. https://doi.org/10.1177/0898264310386224
