Marijuana use in the U.S. is at a record high, with 17% of adults saying they smoke it, according to a Gallup survey released Monday. Among the fastest-growing group of users is older Americans, and it is causing fights in retirement communities and condo buildings.

Seniors are taking marijuana to manage chronic pain, help them sleep, and for fun. Some are even using it to fit in, with 10% of respondents in a NYU Langone study of senior marijuana users in New York saying they’ve consumed marijuana due to peer pressure.

Many prefer gummies, but many smoke or vape, which is driving the disputes. Neighbors say secondhand smoke is giving them headaches, nausea, and breathing problems.

The fights have reached the courts. One Washington, D.C., woman sued her neighbor in his early 70s who said he was legally prescribed medical marijuana for pain and that edibles upset his stomach. The D.C. Superior Court ruled in 2023 that he could not disrupt her use of and enjoyment of her property and barred him from smoking in his home. The D.C. Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 2025.

In the meantime, cannabis companies are marketing to older adults with brands like “Senior Moments” and hosting senior cannabis expos.

Doctors are split. Some point to the benefits for chronic pain and sleep, while others cite studies showing significant increases in cannabis-related emergency room visits among seniors and urge caution.

The Gallup polling shows that about 7% of U.S. adults 65 and older take marijuana edibles, and 5% smoke marijuana — up from just 1% in 2013. The group still has a way to catch up with 30- to 49-year-olds, 25% of whom smoke.

40 states and the District of Columbia have legalized either medical or recreational adult-use marijuana since 1996.

Source: @wsj @gallup