Correlates of Cannabis Concentrates Use Among Older Adults

Background and Purpose: Cannabis use among older adults presents unique risks and has been increasing over the past decade. Although cannabis concentrate use has been shown to correlate with adverse outcomes among adolescents and young adults, little is known about cannabis concentrates use among adults 50 and over. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to observe predictors of past-year cannabis concentrates use among older adult cannabis users.

Methods: Data for this study come from the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. The sample included n=1,004 adults 50 and over who had used cannabis in the past year. The dichotomous dependent variable for this study was past-year use of cannabis concentrates (yes/no), which included “dabs,” “waxes,” and “concentrates.” Other variables included in this study were age (0= 50 – 64, 1= 65+), past-year cannabis use disorder (CUD) criteria met (yes/no), past-month binge drinking (yes/no), past-year illegal drug use other than marijuana (yes/no), self-reported health (0= Excellent, 1= Very Good, 2= Good, 3= Fair/Poor), marital status (0= Married, 1= Widowed, 2= Divorce/Separated, 3= Never Married), annual household income (0= Less than $20,000, 1= $20,000 – $49,999, 2= $50,000 – $74,999, 3= More than $75,000) and sex (male/female). Bivariate relationships were examined using chi-square tests. Next, a logistic regression model was created with past-year concentrates use predicted by age, past-year CUD, past-month binge drinking, past-year illegal drug use, sex, income, marital status, and self-rated health.

Results: Around 12% of older adults in the sample had used cannabis in the past year, with 6.2% of these older adults having used cannabis concentrates. Concentrates use was related to younger age (X²= 7.67, p < 0.01), male sex (X²= 9.13, p < 0.01), past-year CUD (X²= 21.57, p < 0.001), past-month binge drinking (X²= 6.24, p < 0.05), past-year illegal drug use (X²= 18.76, p < 0.001), lower levels of self-reported health (X²= 12.36, p < 0.01), lower income (X²= 11.35, p < 0.05), and marital status (X²= 10.75, p < 0.05). In the logistic regression model, younger older adults (AOR= 2.36, CI= 1.21 – 4.62), males (AOR= 1.94, CI= 1.13 – 3.31), and past-year users of illegal drugs (AOR= 2.03 CI= 1.17 – 3.52) were significantly more likely to have used cannabis concentrates. Additionally, older adults with a past-year CUD were over two times more likely to have used concentrates in the past year than marijuana users who did not use concentrates (OAR= 2.15, 1.25 – 3.69) and older adult marijuana users who had not binge drank in the past month were nearly twice as likely to have used concentrates in the past year (AOR= 1.92, CI= 1.04 – 3.54).

Conclusions and Implications: Results from this study provide new understandings regarding the differences between methods of cannabis use among older adults. Social workers and their older adult clientele could benefit from the knowledge that not all methods of cannabis use are equal and likely come with unique correlates and risks, though more research is needed.