In March, Thurston revealed in an

Researchers at UC San Diego and NYU discovered that marijuana use by Americans aged 65 and older increased by nearly 46% from 2021 to 2023, according to an NYU press release.for recreational use, as well as for medicinal therapies, accessibility to the drug is more widespread, particularly among aging adults.

The research, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that 7% of 15,000 adults in this age range reported using cannabis in the last month, according to 2023 data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This was an increase from 4.8% in 2021 and 5.2% in 2022.While marijuana use surged in both men and women, it was more prevalent among women.The research found that increased use was associated with health conditions

, diabetes, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).Those with a college or post-grad degree, an annual income of $75,000 or more, married status and residence in a state with legalized medical cannabis were also more likely to partake.

"Adults with the highest incomes initially had the lowest prevalence of cannabis use versus other income levels, but by 2023, they had the highest prevalence, which may indicate better access to medical cannabis given its costs," the researchers noted in the study discussion.

"The substantial increased prevalence in states with legalized medical cannabis highlights the importance of structural educational support for patients and clinicians in those states.", such studies to date have been small. This suggests that while there may be patient circumstances where methylene blue is beneficial, researchers have not yet pinned down what those are.

Methylene blue is generally safe when used under medical supervision. However, the chemical has some serious risks.For one thing, it can interact with widely used medications. Methylene blue

, whose job is to break down an important brain chemical, serotonin. Many commonly usedalong with these medicines