Plot Twist: Grandma Knows About Weed

By Doreen Sullivan, Founder of My Bud Vase®

For decades, cannabis culture was marketed as something for the young. Turns out, Grandma has something to say about that.

Cannabis use among Americans 65 and older is climbing. A 2025 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that past-month cannabis use among adults 65 and older rose from 4.8% in 2021 to 7% in 2023. That's nearly a 46% increase in just two years, and older women saw a steep rise of their own.

Researchers now describe older adults as the fastest-growing group of cannabis consumers in the country. Among adults 50 and up, about one in five used cannabis in the past year, according to the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

SLEEP. SOOTHE. SAVOR. REPEAT.

So what has Grandma so curious? In that same University of Michigan poll, relaxation topped the list. 81% of adults 50 and older who used cannabis said they used it to relax, followed by sleep, enjoyment, and easing pain.

A 2026 study in JAMA Network Open listened even more closely. Researchers interviewed 169 adults over 60 in Colorado who were preparing to buy edible cannabis for the first time. Sleep was their most common reason, followed by pain and then mental health. Many had already tried other approaches without enough relief, some hoped to lean less on pharmaceuticals, and many were guided by the experiences of friends and family. What they wanted, the lead researcher shared, was a better quality of life, including more enjoyment of time with the people they love.

Maybe Grandma simply wants a good night's sleep, a little peace, and knees that finally stop talking back.

THE GENERATION THAT TAUGHT US TO "JUST SAY NO" IS STARTING TO SAY MAYBE.

There's something culturally fascinating happening here. The generation that lived through some of America's loudest anti-marijuana messaging, and plenty who repeated it at the dinner table, is now exploring cannabis with fresh eyes.

And they're doing it while navigating the realities of getting older. Achy joints. Restless nights. The worry that shows up at 3 a.m. A pill organizer that seems to gain a compartment every year.

The science is still catching up. The National Institutes of Health's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes that some evidence suggests modest benefits of cannabis or cannabinoids for chronic pain, while research into many other uses remains in its early stages.

On a question so many families wonder about, the newest research is reassuring. A large 2026 study published in BMJ Mental Health, drawing on the UK Biobank and the U.S. Million Veteran Program, found no link between cannabis use and faster cognitive decline or higher dementia risk in older adults. The researchers note that heavier, long-term use still needs more study.

Grandma is asking smart questions. She's earned thoughtful answers, and her doctor belongs in that conversation too.

GRANDMA DESERVES BETTER THAN A HEADY BONG.

That's where My Bud Vase comes in.

I created My Bud Vase around a simple belief: cannabis can belong in a beautiful home. It can sit out on the vanity or the bookshelf, right beside the family photos, and look like it was always meant to be there. Grandma's head shop days were back in 1978, and her taste has only grown more refined since.

Beautiful. Discreet. Thoughtful. Giftable. And yes, Grandma-worthy.

Our Rosette was made for exactly this moment. Reminiscent of vintage French porcelain, she has a curvy body, a stoneware relief flower, and a matching stemmed poker, so she reads as an heirloom the moment she's set on a shelf.

This Grandparents Day weekend, we're celebrating the women who came before us, the ones who broke a few rules of their own and probably know considerably more than we give them credit for.

Because good taste runs in the family. And apparently, so does good flower.

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS. PASS IT.

BEHIND THE PHOTOS

I want to take a moment to thank Sage of Whispered Rarity Photography, who reached out to me on Instagram simply as a photographer asking if there was anything I'd been wanting to shoot. As fate would have it, I was already dreaming up this Grandparents Day campaign and thinking about how much I wanted to show, beautifully and authentically, just how many seniors are enjoying cannabis. Quite frankly, they've earned it.

In true flow-and-destiny fashion, the universe brought an amazing photographer right to my door. These photographs are the result of that spontaneous collaboration, and they remind me of something I've experienced throughout my entire career: what an honor it is when creative women find one another. One beautiful idea, one beautiful woman, one beautiful photo shoot after another.

CANNABIS AND OLDER ADULTS: YOUR QUESTIONS, ANSWERED

Is cannabis use increasing among older adults?

Yes. Past-month cannabis use among Americans 65 and older rose from 4.8% in 2021 to 7% in 2023, according to a 2025 study in JAMA Internal Medicine. Researchers now describe older adults as the fastest-growing group of cannabis consumers in the U.S.

Why do older adults use cannabis?

Relaxation leads the list. In the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging, adults 50 and older who used cannabis most often said they used it to relax, sleep, enjoy themselves, and ease pain.

Is cannabis linked to memory loss or dementia in older adults?

A large 2026 study in BMJ Mental Health found no link between cannabis use and faster cognitive decline or higher dementia risk in older adults. The researchers note that heavier, long-term use still needs more study.

Should older adults talk to a doctor before trying cannabis?

Yes, especially anyone taking prescription medications. Stanford Medicine experts note that CBD can interfere with how the body breaks down certain medications, including blood thinners.

What is a vase bong?

A vase bong is a water pipe designed as a decorative vase, so it can live out in the open as part of your home. My Bud Vase pieces come with decorative flowers that double as bowl pokers.

Cannabis affects everyone differently and can interact with medications. Older adults considering cannabis for health symptoms should talk with a qualified healthcare professional, particularly if they take prescription medications or live with chronic health conditions.

SOURCES

1. Han BH, Yang KH, Cleland CM, Palamar JJ. Trends in Past-Month Cannabis Use Among Older Adults. JAMA Internal Medicine, 2025. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2834781

2. Delaney RK, et al. Edible Cannabis and Pain, Sleep, and Mental Health Management in Older Adults. JAMA Network Open, 2026. jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2848773

3. University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging. How Older Adults Use, Think About, and Discuss Cannabis, 2024. ihpi.umich.edu

4. Ishrat S, Levey DF, Gelernter J, Ebmeier KP, Topiwala A. Cannabis Use, Cognitive Function and Dementia Risk in Older Adults. BMJ Mental Health, 2026. mentalhealth.bmj.com/content/29/1/e302290

5. National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Cannabis (Marijuana) and Cannabinoids: What You Need To Know. nccih.nih.gov

6. Stanford Medicine Insights. Expert guidance on cannabis use in adults over 65, October 2025. med.stanford.edu