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Senior Organizations Covering Cannabis

AARP, the National Council on Aging, the Veterans Cannabis Coalition, ACNA, Healer.com, Project CBD, and the senior-focused groups worth following.

Clinical Guidance Organizations

Healer.com

Founded by Dr. Dustin Sulak, DO, who has followed more than 18,000 patients and authored Handbook of Cannabis for Clinicians (Norton). Healer.com provides free step-by-step dosing programs, including the sensitization protocol (a six-day tolerance reset) and condition-specific guides for chronic pain, insomnia, and dementia. Dr. Sulak's approach to microdosing is particularly relevant for older adults.

Leaf411

A free nurse-staffed cannabis information hotline. Leaf411 nurses are trained in cannabinoid medicine and can answer questions about products, dosing, and potential interactions. Chief Nursing Officer Eloise Theisen, MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC — a board-certified Adult-Geriatric Nurse Practitioner now at Stanford Medicine's palliative care department — has treated over 7,000 patients with an average age of 76.

Project CBD

A California-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2010. Project CBD (projectcbd.org) maintains a comprehensive research library organized by condition and published The Essential Guide to CBD, winner of the American Botanical Council's James A. Duke Award. An excellent starting point for understanding CBD specifically.

American Cannabis Nurses Association

Founded in 2006, ACNA (cannabisnurses.org) offers educational curricula and connects patients with trained cannabis nurses. In September 2023, the American Nurses Association officially recognized cannabis nursing as a specialty, followed by the 2024 publication of Cannabis Nursing: Scope and Standards of Practice.

Advocacy and Community Organizations

AARP

AARP publishes regularly on cannabis for older adults and sponsors the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging (conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago), which provides the most detailed data on cannabis use trends among adults 50 and older. Their 2024 poll of 3,379 adults aged 50 to 101 found that 21% had used cannabis containing THC in the past year.

National Council on Aging (NCOA)

NCOA provides resources for older adults on a wide range of health topics, including emerging coverage of cannabis as a wellness and medical option for aging populations.

Veteran-Specific Organizations

Veterans Cannabis Coalition

Founded by Eric Goepel, an Army veteran, the Veterans Cannabis Coalition (veteranscannacoalition.org) advocates for veteran access to cannabis and serves older veterans navigating the gap between VA policy and state law.

Veterans Cannabis Project

Founded by Nick Etten, a Navy SEAL veteran, the Veterans Cannabis Project (vetscp.org) focuses on educating veterans and policymakers about cannabis as an alternative to opioids and other medications commonly prescribed to veterans. Particularly relevant for older veterans managing chronic pain and PTSD.

Notable State Programs

Delaware HB285

Delaware's HB285 (2025) allows patients 65 and older to self-certify for medical marijuana cards without written physician certification — the only age-specific streamlining in any state program. This acknowledges that older adults are capable of making informed decisions about their own care.