The authors of this study wished to evaluate the effects of medical marijuana laws on the health and labor supply of adults age 51 and older, and focused on the 55% that have one or more medical conditions which may respond to medical marijuana (cannabis).
They used data from the Health and Retirement Study and found 3 principle findings.
1. Active state medical marijuana laws lead to lower pain and better self-assessed health among older adults.
2. State medical marijuana laws lead to increases in older adult labor supply.
3. The effects of medical marijuana laws are largest among older adults with a health condition that would qualify for legal medical marijuana use under current state laws.
When assessing state medical marijuana laws, it may be important to include the role of health policy supporting the ability to work among older adults.
