Doctors Group Backs Flavored Cannabis Vape Ban, Weighs Marijuana's Mixed Effects on Seniors

The American Medical Association's House of Delegates approved two cannabis-related resolutions last month: one calling for a nationwide ban on flavored marijuana vaping products, another acknowledging both risks and possible therapeutic value of cannabis use among older adults. These join a growing list of AMA drug-policy positions that oppose commercial legalization while supporting expungement of past cannabis convictions and broader drug decriminalization. The resolution on older adults notes a "higher incidence of dementia among individuals who use cannabis," but also states that "cannabis may offer therapeutic benefits for managing agitation in dementia patients, potentially serving as an alternative to antipsychotic medications." It adds: "Greater transparency regarding both the potential benefits and adverse effects of cannabis use in older adults would be valuable to physicians, particularly given the current paucity of research that is focused on this population." The measure resolves that the AMA will support creating educational materials for clinicians, including a virtual presentation on cannabis effects in older patients, and will push for expanded research into cannabis's therapeutic uses—such as easing agitation in people with cognitive impairment—alongside study of its adverse effects. The second resolution argues cannabis often has a "strong, earthy, or even bitter taste" some users find "unpalatable," and that flavored vape cartridges "mask the unpleasant taste of cannabis," which it says have "increased adolescents' willingness to try them." It resolves that the AMA will "advocate and support a complete ban on the production, marketing, and sale of Cannabis based ECIG flavored devices and cartridges" across medical and adult-use dispensaries and any outlet selling hemp products or serving public health functions, and will pursue legislative changes toward a nationwide ban on such flavored devices. These additions build on existing AMA cannabis and drug policy stances. In 2024, delegates adopted a resolution endorsing broad drug decriminalization. In 2022, delegates voted to support expungement of past marijuana convictions in states that have legalized the drug, while maintaining opposition to legalization itself. In 2023, the AMA adopted resolutions backing psychedelics research, opposing kratom criminalization, calling for ending the sentencing disparity between crack and powder cocaine, and supporting continued inclusion of marijuana metabolites in employment drug testing.