Op-Ed: Listening to Older Women Who Use Cannabis

In August 2025, Nicole Dalmer co-authored an op-ed in the Hamilton Spectator with Saara Greene that shines a light on a population too often left out of cannabis conversations: older women. Their piece, “Older women use cannabis. Why aren’t we listening to them?”, urges readers and policymakers alike to reconsider the biases that shape how cannabis use is discussed, regulated, and understood.

Older women, as Dalmer and Greene point out, are navigating a complex mix of challenges when it comes to cannabis use. While many turn to cannabis for relief from pain, sleep difficulties, or to cultivate joy and connection in their daily lives, their experiences are overshadowed by stigma tied to age, gender, race, and sexuality. Too often, public discourse focuses solely on risks or pathologizes cannabis use, leaving little room for the stories of resilience and self-determination that these women share.

The op-ed emphasizes that listening to older women’s perspectives is not just a matter of inclusion — it is essential for building more equitable public health frameworks and for dismantling stereotypes that cast older adults as passive or obsolete. By centering these voices, Dalmer and Greene illustrate how rethinking cannabis through the lens of lived experience can open doors to more nuanced, compassionate, and just approaches to aging, health, and well-being.

Read the full op-ed here: Hamilton Spectator article