Marijuana use among baby boomers rose tenfold over decade as seniors seek out cannabis for medical treatment

Marijuana use among seniors in the U.S. rose tenfold over a decade as more baby boomers use it to treat a range of ailments, including pain, anxiety and depression, according to a University of Colorado study.

Some 3.7% of U.S. adults age 65 or older used cannabis in the past year, a more than tenfold increase from 0.3% in 2007, data from the National Survey of Drug Use and Health showed. In 2017, 9.4% of adults ages 60 to 64 reported using marijuana in the past year, up from 1.9% 10 years earlier.

As more states legalize medical and recreational cannabis, the number of older Americans using the drug is expected to rise, said Dr. Hillary Lum, assistant professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and co-author of a study published last month in the journal Drugs and Aging that examined pot use among Americans over age 60.

Recreational marijuana use is legal in Colorado and 10 other states and the District of Columbia, while medical marijuana is legal in 33 states. Even so, many older Americans are having trouble finding medical marijuana, Lum said. [Read more at CNBC]