TUESDAY, June 16, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Approximately 1 in 3 older U.S. adults reported any cannabis or illegal drug screening during health care encounters in the past year, according to a study published in the August issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Pia M. Mauro, Ph.D., from the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy, and Aging Research in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and colleagues used data from 14,387 U.S. adults aged 65 years and older self-reporting any past-year health care visit through the 2021 to 2023 National Survey on Drug Use and Health to understand the frequency of cannabis or drug screening among older adults.
The researchers found that 36.8 percent of older adults encountering the health care system reported cannabis or illegal drug screening. Higher screening was seen in people with two or more chronic conditions, moderate/severe mental illness, cannabis use, alcohol use, and higher income. Screening was lower among Hispanic/Latine people. Overall, 8.1 percent of participants self-reported past-year cannabis use and 19.2 percent of these older adults discussed cannabis use with their clinicians. Having discussions (versus no screening/discussions) was more likely among those with two or more chronic conditions (adjusted relative risk ratio [RRR], 1.78) or mild mental illness (adjusted RRR, 2.62) and was less likely among Hispanic/Latine (adjusted RRR, 0.23) and other racial groups versus White older adults or those reporting alcohol use.
"Cannabis use is on the rise; therefore it's crucial for physicians to facilitate important conversations about the potential consequences of cannabis, especially for older adults and those with chronic diseases," Mauro said in a statement.
