Cannabis Use Profiles Differ by Age Among Adult Women

Jennifer Attonito, PhD
University of Central Florida

Co-authors: Karina Villalba¹, Jocelyn Mueller², Christa Cook^3
1University of Central Florida, ²University of South Florida, ³University of Florida

Background: As cannabis products diversify, understanding age-related differences in cannabinoid preferences and cannabis use behaviors may inform the medical cannabis industry, public health, education, and research. This study examined age-related differences in cannabis preferences and use behaviors among adult women in Florida.

Methods: This online cross-sectional study included 412 Florida women aged ≥18 years who reported cannabis use, including tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and/or cannabidiol (CBD), within the previous 12 months. Participants were recruited through Qualtrics (2022–2023). Participants were stratified by the sample median age (<56 vs. ≥56 years), resulting in two equal comparison groups (n = 206 each). Demographic characteristics, cannabinoid preferences, and cannabis use behaviors were compared using chi-square analyses and independent-samples t-tests.

Results: The mean participant age was 54.7 years, and participants were predominantly White and non-Hispanic. Compared with older women, younger women were more likely to identify as Black/African American, be employed, and have lower educational attainment, whereas older women were more likely to be widowed or divorced. A consistent pattern of age-related differences emerged. Younger women were significantly more likely to prefer high-THC/low-CBD marijuana products (36.9% vs. 24.8%), whereas older women were more likely to prefer high-CBD/low-THC products (16.0% vs. 10.7%; p = 0.005). Consistent with these preferences, younger women were more likely to report current use of THC-dominant formulations, whereas older women more commonly reported using balanced (1:1) or CBD-dominant formulations (p = 0.004). These age-related differences extended beyond cannabinoid preference. Collectively, these findings define distinct age-related cannabis use profiles. Younger women reported more frequent marijuana use (p < 0.001) and CBD use (p = 0.037) and were significantly more likely to use flower (p < 0.001), vape products (p < 0.001), live resin (p = 0.008), and edible cannabis products (p < 0.001). In contrast, older women reported higher monthly marijuana expenditures (p = 0.002) despite less frequent cannabis use. No significant age differences were observed in medical marijuana card ownership, age at marijuana initiation, duration of marijuana or CBD use, or most other cannabis product categories.

Conclusions: The findings suggest distinct age-related cannabis use profiles among adult women. Younger women demonstrated a profile characterized by THC-dominant preferences, more frequent cannabis use, and greater use of inhaled and edible products, whereas older women more commonly preferred balanced or CBD-dominant formulations and reported higher monthly cannabis expenditures. These findings may inform the Florida medical cannabis industry, public health initiatives, educational efforts, and future longitudinal research.