Why the Elderly Are the Fastest-Growing Pot Demographic in the U.S.

On a recent Friday at the Balfour Riverfront Park senior living facility in downtown Denver, an unusual event took place among the day’s regular activities. In between scrapbooking at the Sky Bar and water walking in the Pompeii Pool, the facility was hosting a “cannabis 101” seminar in the Moffat Depot community room.

Balfour is part of a growing trend of operations and organizations tackling the issue of seniors and marijuana use. For years, Harborside Health Center, a prominent dispensary in Oakland, California, has been hosting monthly support groups for patients over 50. In early 2017, New York City nursing home captured headlines for allowing residents to store and use cannabis on site. The storied National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) has organized cannabis informational sessions and lobbying efforts geared towards seniors under its so-called “Silver Tour.” And earlier this year, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine, a major organization of medical providers, discussed cannabis use at its annual conference. Judging from the interest at this cannabis 101 seminar, events like these won't be the last of their kind.