In November, voters in four states (Arizona, Montana, New Jersey and South Dakota) approved recreational use; the Virginia Legislature did the same last month, with the governor expected to sign the bill. Mississippi and South Dakota legalized medical cannabis in November, too, joining 34 other states. There are no data yet on how the pandemic, with its stress and isolation, affected use among older people. But legal cannabis sales grew by 20 percent last year, according to the National Cannabis Industry Association. Mental health surveys of older people last year showed rising anxiety and depression, conditions frequently cited as reasons to try cannabis.

Source: New York Times March 20, 2021 14:14 UTC