Senior Wellness ~
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Medicare & Schedule III + Cannabis
prohibition of cannabis, CMS formally added cannabis( including CBD-only products) to a list that included cosmetic procedures, funerals, alcohol, and tobacco for 2026.
Challenges and Questions
However, we know that most Americans understand the benefits of medical cannabis now that 87 % of adults support some form of legal cannabis access, according to a recent Pew Research survey. 1 As the fastest-growing group of new cannabis users, older adults are finding that cannabis is a safer alternative for managing pain, mood, sleep, and libido. When people are living unassisted, they can choose to obtain cannabis for their personal wellness, but what happens when their health declines with age and they graduate into supportive living? How do we continue to support these patients’ cannabis needs as they move through the continuum of care?
The stigma of cannabis may be fading, but there remain institutional barriers to welcoming cannabis into clinical spaces( aka assisted living). Many of the barriers are not created out of any explicit compliance rules, but from the confusion and ignorance of how to regulate cannabis appropriately. One major misperception is that communities and facilities can somehow lose“ federal funding” if they allow residents to use cannabis, which is not true and has led to confusion. In 2021, a state senator in California tried to sponsor a bill to allow cannabis access for patients in hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities( SNFs), but it was already a non-issue because there are no federal laws against cannabis access in hospitals. In fact, there has never been a case of federal funding being pulled for this. While cannabis is still a Schedule I drug, Congress has also forbidden the DOJ from spending any money on interfering with medical cannabis.
Recent discussions among aging services professionals have brought some of these very real challenges to light. Aside from the affordability of products, how could cannabis medicines be safely and appropriately delivered? How are cannabis products secured in the facility? How do we get hospitals and SNFs on board with allowing medical cannabis access? If patients want to smoke or vape cannabis, could those facilities safely accommodate it? Some states have introduced legislation to allow for“ Institutional Caregivers” or to ensure their state’ s medical cannabis is allowed in healthcare facilities. As always, it is up to the states to pass laws that will guarantee the rights of medical cannabis patients in healthcare facilities.
This is a topic that warrants our continued attention as further developments emerge. Meanwhile, encourage senior citizens to actively explore the potential therapeutic benefits of cannabis as an alternative medical treatment option.
1. Nadeem R, Nadeem R. Most Americans favor legalizing marijuana for medical, recreational use. Pew Research Center. Published May 7, 2025. https:// www. pewresearch. org / politics / 2024 / 03 / 26 / most-americans-favorlegalizing-marijuana-for-medical-recreational-use /# demographic-partisandifferences-in-views-of-marijuana-legalization
Sara Figueroa studied gerontology at Webster University in St. Louis, MO. Before working as a cannabis and aging consultant for BeLeaf Medical and SWADE Dispensaries, Figueroa worked for the American Red Cross( East Saint Louis service center), Washington University School of Medicine( Institute of Public Health), and the City of St. Louis Human Services Aging Division, the St. Louis Area Agency on Aging.
Notice: The information herein is not intended as medical advice. Always check with your doctor first for medical advise.
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