Sometime in the not-too-distant future, older Americans may be able to have cannabis oils, concentrates or edibles that will soothe whatever ails them delivered to their door, and have it covered by Medicare.
For a select few older adults on Medicare, that could happen as soon as this spring. If so, it would be a federal policy change with potentially huge implications for Colorado's cannabis industry, and for the state's growing senior population.
If it does happen, "It will allow for another type of pain management that many medical providers probably will prefer over opioids," said Amy K. Dore, DHA, Metropolitan State University of Denver professor of Health Professions and program coordinator for Aging Services Leadership. "I'm excited to see what Medicare says and how they're going to put this forward."
It would also benefit Colorado's cannabis industry, said Shannon Donnelly, a cannabis instructor in MSU Denver's School of Hospitality. "We'll see more companies and an increase in revenue, and seniors will have a better quality of life," Donnelly said. She predicted it would take about two years for those benefits to be widely enjoyed. But, she said, "All boats will rise."
Launching those boats is a Trump administration executive order, issued in December, to speed up re-classifying marijuana from a Class I to a Class III drug. That would unlock government-imposed chains that have stymied research into marijuana's potential benefits and dangers for decades. Not surprisingly, that aspect of the executive order grabbed most of the attention.
But there was more to the order — at a press conference, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz announced plans to initiate a pilot program to test the benefits of Medicare covering CBD purchases.
The pilot would allow a limited number of older adults on Medicare to get CBD products with a doctor's recommendation. It also would allow some Medicare recipients to be reimbursed up to $500 a year for qualifying cannabinoid (CBD)-based products. Products would have to comply with state and local laws, come from a legally compliant source and undergo third-party testing for CBD levels and contaminants.
Oz didn't offer many details of how the pilot project would work but said the goal would be to start it in April.
Donnelly said Colorado's 20-plus-year history of marijuana and medical marijuana being legal gives the state's industry a head start on meeting what hopefully will be increased demand. Colorado remains one of the youngest states, with an average age of 37.9. But the state is aging fast — between 2003 and 2023, only Alaska and Idaho had greater increases in the number of residents over 65. That growth in the older adult population is expected to continue.
Dore said the pilot program likely would have a top-down structure, with CMS choosing health care providers and networks to participate. Those participating providers and networks would then decide which seniors would be eligible to participate.
There are plenty of other details to be worked out, Dore said.
The first will be standardizing doses of oils and edibles and other products and determining the right dosages.
With older adults, "There is a higher likelihood of people using multiple prescriptions," and little is known about how common medications for high blood pressure, for example, interact with cannabis products, Dore said.
Then there is the matter of stigma among a generation who grew up at a time when marijuana was illegal throughout the United States, and those who used it were often stereotyped.
But seniors in chronic or debilitating pain may easily overlook past stigmas if CBD brings relief, Dore said. More seniors already use cannabis in some form. A 2025 New York University study found marijuana use among older adults at an all-time high, with 7% of adults aged 65 and up saying they had used it in the past month
Dore worries more about providers being comfortable prescribing the medications and assisted living and other senior living facilities not allowing CBD use among residents because of liability concerns. And, many clinicians still are uncomfortable recommending or prescribing cannabis-related products, she said.
"There is an increasing need for trained professionals who can counsel seniors,", about the risks and benefits of cannabis, Dore said. "There is going to be a huge gap where doctors are going to know these products exist but not know how to counsel people about using them."
Donnelly is confident the cannabis industry, at least, will adapt well if its products become widely covered by Medicare. She said several students are interested in cannabis businesses catering to older adults. She also predicts that dispensaries will provide delivery services, so older adults won't have to drive to purchase their products.
She predicted it would take about two years for the industry to fully adapt and seniors and providers to become comfortable with CBD as a treatment option. When that happens, everyone will benefit.
Source: RED MSU Denver
