How Drugs Affect Older Adults: Weed, Drug Interactions and Aging

Drugs, including weed, can hit older adults harder than younger people: a slower metabolism makes effects last longer, cannabis can interact with the many medications seniors take, and impaired coordination raises the risk of falls. Illicit drug use usually drops off after early adulthood, but nearly a million adults 65 and older in the US still live with a substance use disorder.

Research shows that some older adults use cannabis for pain, to sleep better or to keep anxiety at bay. But drug use later in life can interfere with other medications and can also feel different than it does for younger people.

Drug use in older adults: what do the studies say?

With so many marijuana and CBD (cannabidiol) products out there, specialists warn that the risks of cannabis can be higher for seniors than for younger users, because these products can interfere with medications, even when the people taking them feel they're getting real benefits.

A 2020 study in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society surveyed nearly 600 adults over 65 and found that 15% had used cannabis in the past three years. Of those, 80% said they used it for medical reasons, mainly to ease pain, sleep better and manage anxiety. Most said their families knew about it, but only 40% had talked to their doctor.

As we've seen over the past few years, older adults can be more prone to mood changes, lung or heart disease and memory problems. Cannabis can make these conditions worse and amplify its negative health effects in older users. On top of that, some drugs impair coordination, judgment and reaction time, which can lead to accidents like falls or car crashes.

Cannabis and seniors: how does it interact with medications?

Chronic health problems tend to pile up with age, and older adults, who take more medications than any other age group, end up with more exposure to potentially addictive drugs.

A study of 3,000 adults aged 57 to 85 found that mixing prescription drugs, over-the-counter meds and dietary supplements is extremely common. Eighty percent of participants took at least one prescription drug every day, and almost half took more than five medications or supplements, putting nearly 1 in 25 people in this age group at risk of a major drug interaction.

Other risks of drug use in older adults include accidental misuse of prescription meds and a possible worsening of existing mental health problems. For example, a 2019 study of patients over 50 found that more than 25% of those who misused prescription benzodiazepines or opioids had suicidal thoughts, compared with 2% of those who didn't use them. The takeaway: these medications should always be prescribed after a careful evaluation.

Seen this way, seniors turning to marijuana says a lot about the gaps in conventional medicine and in access to effective treatment. Why? Because grandmas and grandpas who smoke weed are clearly looking for an alternative way to manage conditions whose medical treatments are often hard to get.

What weed does to seniors: the effects

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the THC in marijuana acts on the brain (central nervous system) and makes neurons release dopamine, one of the chemicals with the biggest influence on mood and thinking and the one best known for that feel-good sensation. That's why marijuana can cause effects people enjoy, like:

• A sense of well-being or deep relaxation
• An increased appetite (hello, munchies)
• Heightened sight, hearing and taste

How long does weed last in older adults?

How fast you feel marijuana depends on how you take it. If you inhale the smoke, from a joint or a pipe, you can feel it within seconds to a few minutes. If you eat it in food, like brownies, the effects usually kick in 30 to 60 minutes later.

For older adults, though, the effects can linger, because metabolism slows down with age. That's especially true for edibles, which have to be digested first. Even when smoked, it can take eight hours or more for THC's effects to wear off, and longer still for the oldest users, according to research. A slower metabolism can matter more than the product itself.

Seniors and drug use: what should families do?

If there are older people around you who smoke weed, know that people who use marijuana or CBD products can develop some degree of dependence. That's where family plays a key role: encourage them to talk to their doctor to make sure it won't clash with any medications they're taking.

Plenty of adult children buy products for their parents without realizing that dose and product type can change the effects a lot. That's why older adults thinking about trying cannabis for medical reasons should treat it like any other medication that can have side effects or interact with other drugs.

Addiction recovery in older adults

There's no consensus on the best treatment models, but research shows older adults tend to do better with longer treatment.

The best approaches include diagnosing and managing other chronic conditions, rebuilding support networks, improving access to medical care, better case management and training staff in evidence-based strategies suited to this age group. Experts also call for research into targeted screening methods and integrated care models for people with co-occurring medical and psychiatric problems. And it's worth stressing that older adults often respond well to treatment once they start.

Even so, nobody knows exactly how common substance use disorders are among older adults. Doctors who don't know a patient uses marijuana may mistake the symptoms for other chronic conditions or for normal aging, or chalk them up to stressful life changes.