Cannabis Use Disorder Rising Dramatically Among Aging Veterans with HIV
Cannabis use disorder diagnoses more than quadrupled among veterans aged 65+ with HIV from 2000 to 2022, with one in five people living with HIV receiving a CUD diagnosis during the study period.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
20% of people living with HIV (PLWH) had a cannabis use disorder diagnosis between 2000 and 2022, with CUD consistently higher among PLWH vs. those without HIV (OR=1.14, 95% CI=1.11-1.18), and the greatest relative increase occurring among those aged 65+ (PLWH: 0.9% to 4.0%; PLWoH: 0.03% to 3.15%).
Key Numbers
N=185,372 (58,959 PLWH, 126,413 PLWoH); 45% Black NH, 35% White NH; mean age 48; 20% of PLWH had CUD; OR=1.14 for PLWH vs PLWoH; 65+ age group: 0.9%→4.0% (PLWH), 0.03%→3.15% (PLWoH)
How They Did This
Retrospective analysis of electronic health records from 185,372 individuals in the Veterans Aging Cohort Study-HIV (2000-2022), including 58,959 PLWH matched 1:2 to 126,413 people without HIV, examining CUD trends by age, race/ethnicity, sex, comorbidity, and HIV status.
Why This Research Matters
As people with HIV live longer on antiretroviral therapy, rising cannabis use disorder in this aging population is concerning because cannabis can interact with many prescription medications these patients take.
The Bigger Picture
The intersection of aging, HIV, and increasing cannabis use disorder represents a growing clinical challenge as providers must balance patients' cannabis use with complex medication regimens.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
VA population (mostly male) limits generalizability; ICD-based diagnosis may undercount CUD; cannot distinguish therapeutic from recreational use; increasing diagnostic coding awareness may inflate trends; observational design.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is rising CUD among older PLWH driven by self-medication or changing cannabis availability?
- ?How does CUD affect antiretroviral therapy adherence and outcomes?
- ?Should HIV care include routine CUD screening?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large matched cohort with 22 years of longitudinal data from a national VA database, providing robust trend evidence despite limitations of diagnostic coding.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026; covers 2000-2022.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Use Disorder Among People With and Without HIV.
- Published In:
- Journal of addiction medicine, 20(1), 38-43 (2026)
- Authors:
- Haley, Danielle F(6), So-Armah, Kaku, Justice, Amy C(3), Kidwai-Khan, Farah, Xuan, Ziming, Sayko Adams, Rachel, Fox, Matthew P, Edelman, E Jennifer, Wrona, Aleksandra, Silverberg, Michael J, Satre, Derek D, Trickey, Adam, Ingle, Suzanne M, McGinnis, Kathleen A
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08307
Evidence Hierarchy
Looks back at existing records to find patterns.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Is cannabis use disorder increasing among older adults?
Yes — among veterans aged 65+, cannabis use disorder diagnoses increased dramatically from 2000 to 2022, with rates quadrupling among those with HIV and rising over 100-fold among those without HIV.
Are people with HIV more likely to develop cannabis use disorder?
This study found that people living with HIV had 14% higher odds of CUD compared to matched individuals without HIV, possibly due to using cannabis to manage symptoms, side effects, or comorbidities.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08307APA
Haley, Danielle F; So-Armah, Kaku; Justice, Amy C; Kidwai-Khan, Farah; Xuan, Ziming; Sayko Adams, Rachel; Fox, Matthew P; Edelman, E Jennifer; Wrona, Aleksandra; Silverberg, Michael J; Satre, Derek D; Trickey, Adam; Ingle, Suzanne M; McGinnis, Kathleen A. (2026). Cannabis Use Disorder Among People With and Without HIV.. Journal of addiction medicine, 20(1), 38-43. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001505
MLA
Haley, Danielle F, et al. "Cannabis Use Disorder Among People With and Without HIV.." Journal of addiction medicine, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001505
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Use Disorder Among People With and Without HIV." RTHC-08307. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/haley-2026-cannabis-use-disorder-among
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.