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(CNN) – Older people are increasingly passing the hose. About 9% of US adults aged 50 to 64 have used marijuana at least once during the year, while 3% of those over 65 have used marijuana, according to a new study.
According to the study published Thursday in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence, the proportion of cannabis users has doubled in almost a decade in middle-aged adults. Seniors were multiplied by seven during this period.
Although marijuana use is increasing among older Americans, "most of these people are not new users," said Joseph Palamar, senior author and associate professor at the Langone Medical Center's Population Health Department. New York University.
"I do not think we have to worry about millions of old people trying to weed for the first time," he said. "At least not yet."
"High rate of consumption of harmful substances"
Palamar examined data from 17,608 adults aged 50 and older who participated in the national survey on drug use and health. The federal government's addiction and mental health services have conducted this survey annually since 1971 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Participants answer questions about their use of tobacco, alcohol and drugs in addition to providing demographic information and details about their health.
By analyzing the 2015-16 and 2006-07 survey data, researchers compared users and non-users of marijuana within and between age groups, past and present.
The prevalence of marijuana use in the past year was 9% among adults of middle age and 2.9% among older adults. According to the report, the prevalence of past months was 5.7% among adults of middle age and 1.7% among older adults.
"We found high rates of unhealthy substance use (tobacco, alcohol, misuse of prescription medications) among middle-aged and older adults who consume marijuana," says Dr. Benjamin Han, lead author of the study and adjunct professor at New York University School. of medicine, written in an email.
For example, the study shows that nearly 5% of middle-aged marijuana users had problems with alcohol consumption, 9% were nicotine-dependent and 3.5% were not alcohol-dependent. opioids misused; in older adults, 1.5% had problems with alcohol consumption, 3.5% relied on nicotine and 1.2% misused opioids.
According to the report, in addition to opioids, previous year marijuana users were more likely to abuse sedatives and tranquilizers than their peers.
Han said that "the use of polysubstance" or "the use of multiple substances, especially unhealthy use, is particularly risky for older people with chronic diseases." Marijuana can intensify symptoms of existing conditions while interacting with prescribed medications.
Palamar noted that "according to the combined drugs, the effects can be much stronger".
"Combining marijuana with alcohol can really hit someone who does not expect such effects," he said.
Health and legal risks
Baby boomers have more experience with marijuana than previous generations, said the study's authors. More than half (nearly 55%) of middle-aged adults have been using marijuana at some point in their lives, while more than one-fifth (about 22%) of older adults have used marijuana at some point in their lives. Did.
With a growing number of states legalizing medical and recreational marijuana, health professionals are finding themselves in a stalemate, Han said.
"Older patients are asking me more and more if they have to try marijuana, mainly to sleep or to suffer," said Han, who practices geriatric medicine. "Marijuana can be therapeutically useful for a variety of symptoms and medical conditions, but research in this area is extremely limited."
More research is needed to define the risks and benefits of using marijuana in these age groups, while providing more information on safety, dosing, method of delivery, and how to use it. 39, use (inhalation or ingestion) and symptoms.
For the moment, however, it is "difficult for us, as providers, to recommend it aside for very specific clinical indications (especially compared to other well-studied options)," Han wrote. "Especially if we do not fully understand its risks for the elderly or those suffering from several chronic medical conditions."
Another concern? Baby boomers face "potential legal risks of use if they live in a country where marijuana is illegal," Palamar said.
Opposite ends of the spectrum
Christopher P. Salas-Wright, an assistant professor at the Faculty of Social Work at Boston University, said the new study provides essential "quality information" at a time when public opinion and marijuana evolve quickly.
That said, several "credible studies" already provide "compelling evidence that marijuana use has increased dramatically among adults in general, and in middle-aged and older adults, over the last 10 to 15 years "said Salas-Wright. , who was not involved in the new study but published research on the subject.
This is not just the use, but problematic marijuana use that has increased among adults in these age groups, he said.
"There is strong evidence that regular marijuana use is linked to consequences such as traffic accidents, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and dependence on marijuana and other substances," he said. he declares.
Although many baby boomers "probably use marijuana without experiencing serious problems" – just like alcohol – "we should not lose sight of the fact that marijuana is a psychoactive drug" and therefore poses the "risk of negative consequences "-Wright said.
In a national study published in 2015, Salas-Wright showed that "Marijuana use rates have slightly decreased among 12- to 14-year-olds and have remained stable among 15-17 year-olds since 2002".
As baby boomers turn to cannabis, this is happening alongside a decrease in drug use and other risk behaviors among teens, noted Salas-Wright.
Although the new study brings an "extra contribution" to science, Namkee Choi, a professor at the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin, said it was necessary to conduct another study on marijuana .
Choi, who did not participate in the new research, said that a 2017 report of the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine "sums up very well the little scientific evidence we have so far on the effects of marijuana on health and mental health in adulthood. "
"We know more about the negative effects of marijuana during the formative years," said Choi, who has published extensive research on the effects of cannabis. "Additional research is needed to evaluate the beneficial and negative effects of marijuana on health and mental health for all age groups and on effective treatment modalities for marijuana use disorders."
Han said the number of baby boomers using weeds would likely continue to increase due to changing laws. Since risky drug use could become a problem for some, it suggests that health care providers track middle-aged and older patients for substance use.
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