At the same time, clinicians often lack experience with cannabis— partly because patients aren’ t bringing it up. The result is a cycle:
● Patients stay quiet → Doctors lack knowledge → Patients feel unsupported → Silence continues.
● Breaking that cycle requires honesty, trust, and conversation.
Lessons from History:
Seniors Who Changed the Conversation
Today’ s hesitation stands in stark contrast to the boldness of earlier generations of cannabis advocates— many of whom were older adults themselves.
Brownie Mary, a grandmother and hospital volunteer, became one of the most iconic figures in medical cannabis history. Mary Jane Rathbun, a 57-year-old bakery worker in San Francisco, sold cannabis-infused baked goods for extra money. After her arrest for baking and selling her“ magic brownies,” she was sentenced to 500 hours of community service. This arrest and sentence led her to volunteer with an HIV / AIDS support organization, and her true activism began.
During the AIDS crisis of the 1980s and 1990s, she baked and distributed cannabis-infused brownies to patients suffering from pain, nausea, and wasting syndrome. 10 Despite multiple arrests, she spoke openly about her work, helping shift public perception and build support for legalization. 11
She was joined by Dennis Peron, often called the“ Father of Medical Cannabis,” who transformed personal grief into political action. After losing his partner to AIDS, Peron became a leading advocate, co-founding the nation’ s first public cannabis dispensary and helping to author California’ s Proposition 215, the first statewide medical cannabis law. 12
These advocates— patients, caregivers, and often older adults— helped redefine cannabis as medicine. They used their voices, their stories, and their visibility to change laws and save lives.
Normalization Through Conversation
The lesson from history is clear: progress happens when people speak openly. When older adults today share their experiences with cannabis, they help:
● Educate healthcare providers.
● Reduce stigma within families and communities.
● Advance evidence-based policies.
● Improve patient outcomes.
● Normalization doesn’ t start with legislation— it starts with conversation.
Moving Forward: From Silence to Empowerment
The rise of senior cannabis use represents a cultural and medical shift— one rooted in lived experience and evolving understanding. However, for that shift to reach its full potential, it must be visible.
Today’ s older adults have more legal access, more product options, and more scientific insight than any generation before them. What remains is the final barrier: openness.
The pioneers of the past risked arrest and public scrutiny to make medical cannabis possible. Today’ s seniors face far less risk— yet the impact of speaking up remains just as powerful. When older adults feel empowered to say,“ This helps me,” they do more than improve their own care. They carry forward a legacy— one built by Brownie Mary, Dennis Peron, and countless others— and help shape a future in which cannabis is understood not as a secret but as a legitimate and respected form of medicine. We would not enjoy the access to cannabis we have today without the enormous contributions of older adults to the cannabis movement.
Show Me Summit on Aging & Health 2026: Seize the Age!
I am excited to announce that my presentation proposal, Cannabis & Aging: What Seniors and Providers Need to Know, has been accepted for the annual Show Me Summit. The summit is presented by the Missouri Association for Area Agencies on Aging, ma4. In November, around 300 experts and advocates in aging services will gather in Columbia to network and share best practices. Fully in the era of Peak 65, the themes of this year’ s conference emphasize that now is the time for older adults to speak up so they can shape the future of their aging experience. Stay well!
1. https:// journals. plos. org / plosone / article? id = 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0281826 2. https:// educatedalternative. org / 3. https:// pmc. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov / articles / PMC12997168 / 4. https:// pmc. ncbi. nlm. nih. gov / articles / PMC12997168 / 5. https:// jakejabscenter. org / hiv-epidemic-medical-marijuana / 6. https:// norml. org / 7. https:// www. nugmag. com / meet-the-faces-behind-the-cannabis-activismmovement / 8. https:// en. wikipedia. org / wiki / Dennis _ Peron 9. https:// medicateoh. com / featured / patient-firsts-of-the-medical-cannabisreform-movement-in-the-united-states / 10. https:// nuggnotes. com / blogs / news-articles / dennis-peron-father-of-medicalcannabis 11. https:// thegreenthingz. com / blogs / infos / dennis-peron-medical-marijuanaactivist 12. https:// arcannabistimes. com / brownie-mary /
Sara Figueroa, is the Wellness and Aging Specialist for BeLeaf Medical. She studied Gerontology at Webster University and is the first gerontologist to work in Missouri’ s cannabis industry. Figueroa is also the co-director of The Church on Delmar, a cannabis consumption event space in St. Louis, MO. For inquiries, email Sara Figueroa at wellness @ swadecannabis. com.
Notice: The information contained herein is not intended as medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, but rather a sharing of knowledge and information based on research and experience. The content is for general informational purposes only. As always, check with your doctor first.
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