Middle-aged Britons are TWICE as likely as young adults to use cannabis every day - as experts warn millions may be turning to the drug to ease anxiety and pain... unaware it could make their problems worse

More than a million Britons are using cannabis every day, with experts warning that many middle-aged adults are turning to the drug to self-medicate in the mistaken belief it is good for their health.Worrying new research suggests that people in their 40s and 50s are more than twice as likely to use the illegal Class B drug daily as younger adults.Around one in three cannabis users in these age groups take it every day, compared with just one in ten aged 18 to 24.Experts believe some middle-aged adults may be using cannabis to relieve stress, anxiety and chronic pain – despite concerns that regular use can worsen mental health problems and lead to dependence.The study, published in the journal Addiction, estimated that 1.2million adults in Great Britain use cannabis every day – equivalent to roughly one in 50 adults.That is more than double a previous estimate of around 470,000 daily users in England and Wales, based on the Crime Survey for England and Wales, conducted by the Office for National Statistics.It is also an increase on a separate estimate by health charity Action on Smoking and Health (ASH), which suggested one million adults used cannabis daily in 2023.However, the figures come from different surveys and are not directly comparable, meaning the findings do not necessarily indicate a rise in cannabis use. Middle-aged Britons are more than twice as likely to smoke cannabis every day than younger adults, a study has found Researchers from King's College London and the University of Bath made the findings after analysing survey responses from more than 25,000 adults.Around 7.2 per cent said they had used cannabis in the past year, and almost a quarter of those reported using it daily.But when researchers examined which age groups used the drug most frequently, they uncovered a striking pattern.Among cannabis users aged 18 to 24, just 12.1 per cent reported taking the drug daily, rising to 21.5 per cent among 25 to 34-year-olds.The figure climbed to 33 per cent among 35 to 44-year-olds and 33.7 per cent among those aged 45 to 54.Even among over-55s who used cannabis, almost three in ten (29.6 per cent) took it every day.Hazel Cheeseman, chief executive of ASH, which was also involved in the study, said the findings suggested that some middle-aged adults could be using cannabis in an attempt to manage their health problems.'We know that people report using cannabis and using tobacco for a range of perceived mental health benefits,' she told the Daily Mail.'There's a big question mark over whether they actually deliver any mental health benefits, but there's a perception that both like nicotine and tobacco, cannabis, relieves some of the symptoms of stress and day-to-day anxieties.'The reality is that it's often fueling some of that poor mental health.'Ms Cheeseman said the belief that cannabis can relieve pain, stress and anxiety could help explain why people turn to the drug as they get older and experience more health problems.'I think there would be a reasonable argument to say that potentially some of this use in middle age is linked to a real or perceived management of health conditions,' she said.Younger people, by contrast, are more likely to experiment with cannabis or use it occasionally, rather than develop a daily habit.However, Ms Cheeseman warned that frequent use can lead to dependence, much like other addictive substances such as tobacco.Experts say daily cannabis use is particularly concerning because the more frequently someone takes the drug, the greater their risk of developing physical and mental health problems.'How often people use cannabis matters as much as whether they use it at all,' said Dr Hannah Walsh, co-lead author and research associate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London.'Because using every day or nearly every day carries a greater risk of physical and mental health harms.'Our findings suggest this pattern is more common among people in mid-life, people out of work and people who also smoke tobacco.'This gives a much clearer picture of who might benefit most from support, for example, those accessing employment or stop smoking services.'