Cannabis-related treatment admissions among older adults rose sharply but were outpaced by other drug admissions
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.
Quick Facts
What This Study 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.
Key Numbers
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 They Did This
Joinpoint regression of TEDS-A 2000-2021 (N=5,593,004 admissions age 50+); multinomial and binary logistic regression for correlates.
Why This Research Matters
The aging cannabis user population is entering treatment systems in growing numbers, requiring age-appropriate approaches.
The Bigger Picture
The opioid crisis overshadowed growing cannabis treatment needs among older adults, and legalization will require more treatment infrastructure.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Administrative data reflects referral patterns; TEDS misses private treatment; changing legal landscape; racial disparities may reflect criminal justice bias.
Questions This Raises
- ?Does the plateau reflect stabilization or capacity saturation?
- ?Are older seekers self-referring or court-mandated?
- ?How do outcomes differ by age?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis treatment admissions for ages 65+ grew at 5.2% annually from 2000-2016
- Evidence Grade:
- 22 years of national treatment data with over 5.5 million admissions provides robust trends, though administrative data has known limitations.
- Study Age:
- Published 2025, data 2000-2021
- Original Title:
- Changes in and correlates of cannabis-involved substance use treatment admissions age 50 and older, 2000-2021.
- Published In:
- Frontiers in public health, 13, 1592551 (2025)
- Authors:
- Choi, Namkee G(10), Marti, C Nathan(10), Choi, Bryan Y(4)
- Database ID:
- RTHC-06215
Evidence Hierarchy
Follows a group of people over time to track how outcomes develop.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are more older adults seeking cannabis treatment?
Yes, the number increased substantially. But as a share of all substance admissions, cannabis peaked around 2012-2016 as opioid admissions grew faster.
Who was most likely to be admitted?
Males, Black and Hispanic individuals, residents of states with cannabis laws, and those referred by healthcare providers or the legal system.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-06215APA
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
MLA
Choi, Namkee G, et al. "Changes in and correlates of cannabis-involved substance use treatment admissions age 50 and older, 2000-2021.." Frontiers in public health, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1592551
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Changes in and correlates of cannabis-involved substance use..." RTHC-06215. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/choi-2025-changes-in-and-correlates
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.