Objective:

To analyze the prevalence of discussions about cannabis use among older adults with clinicians.

Approach:

Key Findings:

• Fewer than 1 in 5 older adults who reported past-year cannabis use discussed it with a clinician.
• 37% of older adults reported being asked about marijuana or illegal drug use by a healthcare professional.
• Discussions about cannabis use were more likely among those with 2 or more chronic conditions and mild mental illness.
• Hispanic/Latine older adults were less likely to report screening and discussions compared to White older adults.
• Past-year alcohol use was positively associated with screening but negatively associated with discussions among cannabis users.

Interpretation:

Limitations:

• Screening questions combined cannabis with other illegal drugs, limiting cannabis-specific analysis.
• Self-reported data not validated against medical records.
• Cross-sectional design limits understanding of why screening and discussion rates differ.
• Low response rates and exclusion of certain populations limit generalizability.

Conclusion:

Sources:

• American Journal of Preventive Medicine
Source

Based on findings from:

The Cannabis Talk That Doesn't Happen

Andrea Surnit. MDSpire News, 2026.

https://news.mdspire.com/psychiatry/articles/the-cannabis-talk-that-doesnt-happen/

Attribution Notice

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.