Cannabis-involved substance use treatment admissions among adults 50+ increased substantially from 2000-2021, but their share peaked around 2012-2016 as other drug admissions grew faster.
Addiction treatment providers, geriatric specialists, health policy researchers
Cannabis treatment admissions for ages 65+ grew at 5.2% annually from 2000-2016
What the researchers found
Cannabis admissions increased in number but share peaked and declined for ages 50-64 (after 2012) and plateaued for 65+ (after 2016); higher among males, Black individuals, legal state residents, and court/healthcare referrals.
Why it matters
The aging cannabis user population is entering treatment systems in growing numbers, requiring age-appropriate approaches.
The numbers in context
N=5,593,004 admissions; ages 65+ share increased to 2016 (APC=5.2) then plateaued; Black (aOR=1.34) and Hispanic (aOR=1.26) individuals had higher odds of cannabis-primary admissions.
How the study worked
Joinpoint regression of TEDS-A 2000-2021 (N=5,593,004 admissions age 50+); multinomial and binary logistic regression for correlates.
What this study cannot tell us
Administrative data reflects referral patterns; TEDS misses private treatment; changing legal landscape; racial disparities may reflect criminal justice bias.
How to read the evidence
22 years of national treatment data with over 5.5 million admissions provides robust trends, though administrative data has known limitations.
When this study was published
Published 2025, data 2000-2021
The bigger picture
The opioid crisis overshadowed growing cannabis treatment needs among older adults, and legalization will require more treatment infrastructure.
Questions still open
- Does the plateau reflect stabilization or capacity saturation? Are older seekers self-referring or court-mandated? How do outcomes differ by age?
Common questions
Are more older adults seeking cannabis treatment?
Who was most likely to be admitted?
Read the original research
Changes in and correlates of cannabis-involved substance use treatment admissions age 50 and older, 2000-2021.
Frontiers in public health, 13, 1592551
Citation
Choi, Namkee G; Marti, C Nathan; Choi, Bryan Y. (2025). Changes in and correlates of cannabis-involved substance use treatment admissions age 50 and older, 2000-2021.. Frontiers in public health, 13, 1592551. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1592551
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