As Senior Cannabis Use Grows, ‘Ganja Granny’ Offers Answers

As cannabis becomes more mainstream in New York and across the country, older adults are emerging as one of the fastest-growing groups of users. But for many seniors, questions remain about safety, stigma, and simply how to navigate a dispensary. Former NPR freelance culture correspondent Karen Michel hopes to answer those questions through her new podcast, Ganja Granny.

“Older adults are the fastest growing consumers of cannabis,” Michel said. “When I’ve gone into dispensaries, it’s incredible how often I see my peers.”

Michel, who spent years in public radio journalism, said the project grew out of conversations with friends and her own curiosity about how older adults are adapting to legalized cannabis culture.

“I wanted something that was for a general audience to inform them, enlighten them, make them feel more confident, and answer some questions they might have,” she said.

The podcast blends reporting, personal observation, and interviews with scientists, doctors, and cannabis users. Michel said she intentionally avoids advocacy, focusing instead on practical information for newcomers.

“There are plenty of advocates out there for cannabis, ganja, weed, whatever you want to call it,” she said. “But the solid information, some of it’s couched in medical terms, scientific terms, hard to get around.”

Michel describes herself as an “audio anthropologist,” drawing on her graduate work in anthropology and decades in journalism. That background shapes the way she approaches interviews — often by simply asking strangers what they’re looking for or what questions they have.

The first episode of Ganja Granny takes listeners inside dispensaries across the Catskills and Hudson Valley, exploring what it feels like to shop for cannabis for the first time. Michel said one thing quickly became clear: no two dispensaries operate the same way.

“There is no consistency,” she said. “The dispensaries differ a great deal depending on the people who are working there, the so-called bud tenders, the aesthetic of the place.”

Some customers arrive overwhelmed by unfamiliar terminology and products. Others know exactly what they want. Michel said many older adults remain unfamiliar with concepts like terpenes, cannabinoids, or the differences between indica and sativa strains.

Her upcoming episodes dive deeper into those topics, including one she calls “Naming Names,” focused on cannabis terminology and the science behind it. Future episodes will also examine the medical uses of cannabis, including what research currently supports — and what remains uncertain because of federal restrictions on marijuana research.

“There are many, many medical aspects of the plant that have been known for thousands of years,” Michel said. “Now it’s become a business.”

Michel said response to the podcast has been enthusiastic, particularly from listeners looking for approachable, jargon-free information.

“The point is to do something that’s not boring, that’s interesting, that’s engaging, that hopefully has a sense of humor along with the information,” she said.

The Ganja Granny podcast is available through Radio Catskill, The Ganja Granny, and major podcast platforms.

Image Credit: Ann Seregi