Staying Healthy

Emergency care visits after cannabis use rising among older adults

Research we're watching

By , Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch
  • Reviewed by Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor

photo of an older woman at a counter in a marijuana dispensary examining the product

Cannabis-related visits to hospital emergency departments skyrocketed among older adults over a 14-year period, a new analysis suggests.

Researchers examined data on cannabis-related emergency department visits in California from 2005 through 2019. They found that visits among adults 65 and older jumped from 366 in 2005 to 12,167 in 2019. The findings, published online Jan. 9, 2023, by the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, mirror those from an earlier nationwide study.

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About the Author

photo of Maureen Salamon

Maureen Salamon, Executive Editor, Harvard Women's Health Watch

Maureen Salamon is executive editor of Harvard Women’s Health Watch. She began her career as a newspaper reporter and later covered health and medicine for a wide variety of websites, magazines, and hospitals. Her work has … See Full Bio
View all posts by Maureen Salamon

About the Reviewer

photo of Toni Golen, MD

Toni Golen, MD, Editor in Chief, Harvard Women's Health Watch; Editorial Advisory Board Member, Harvard Health Publishing; Contributor

Dr. Toni Golen is a physician specializing in obstetrics and gynecology, practicing in Boston. Dr. Golen completed her residency training at George Washington University Medical Center in 1995, and is an associate professor at Harvard Medical … See Full Bio
View all posts by Toni Golen, MD

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