As the proportion of the older segment of the population continues to increase both numerically and proportionately, a useful exercise might be to examine how various laws affect them. For example, given the increased popularity of state legislation to legalize the use of marijuana for medical purposes (now legal in 33 states and the District of Columbia) and also for recreational purposes (currently legal in 10 states and DC), use of that substance can be assessed from the standpoint of health and the labor supply for older individuals. A step in that direction is represented by the results of a study reported in the Journal of Policy Analysis and Management on February 6, 2019. Investigators quantified the effects of state medical marijuana laws (MML) on the health and labor supply of adults age 51 and older, focusing on the 55% with one or more medical conditions with symptoms that may respond to medical marijuana.
Three principle findings emerged from the analysis. First, active state MMLs lead to lower pain and better self‐assessed health among older adults, including a 3.4% increase in the probability of reporting very good or excellent health. Second, state MMLs lead to increases in older adult labor supply, with effects concentrated on the intensive margin, with post-MML full-time employment increasing by 5%. Third, the effects of MMLs are largest among older adults with a health condition that would qualify for legal medical marijuana use under current state laws. These findings highlight the role of health policy in supporting work among older adults and the importance of including them in assessments of state medical marijuana laws. Age patterns of disease suggest that the health benefits of MML passage could be concentrated among older adults. The authors contend that if the implementation of an MML, by promoting access to marijuana for medical use, reduces symptoms associated with work‐impeding health conditions, then MMLs could enhance labor supply among the fastest growing segment of the population. This policy effect could facilitate greater retirement savings and also potentially delay the initiation of Social Security benefit claims
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