Anderson Cooper Premieres New Installment Of Dr. Sanjay Gupta's Cannabis Series: 'Weed 7: A Senior Moment'

The newest installment of "The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper" features Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s award-winning cannabis series: “Weed 7: A Senior Moment.” The series will explore the risks and benefits of cannabis in treating chronic issues such as pain, anxiety and Alzheimer’s disease in patients over 50. 

Important Topic

Seniors are now the fastest-growing group of cannabis users in the United States. Between 2015 and 2018, marijuana use in people over 65 jumped 75%.

“Over the last decade reporting on medical marijuana, time and time again, what has surprised me the most is the optimism, the possibility, and the impact that carefully controlled cannabis can have, even on seniors, for a better quality of life,” Dr. Gupta said.

In this first episode, airing Sunday, August 6 at 8 pm ET/PT, Dr. Gupta travels from research facilities in Tel Aviv, Israel – often referred to as “the holy land of medical marijuana” – to a senior living community in West Palm Beach, which is running an experimental cannabis treatment pilot program. He talks about how baby boomers are using marijuana for pain relief, better sleep, reducing anxiety, keeping their weight up and more. 

In California, Gupta takes a ride on a “cannabus” that transports seniors to cannabis dispensaries. They visit one of the largest growing operations in the world, where cannabis plants are designed with older people in mind.

The CNN series features interviews with doctors and researchers at the forefront of the field, as well as first-person accounts from seniors about their experiences using cannabis. 

“Weed 7: A Senior Moment” also explores how the stigma around marijuana use is quickly disappearing in the U.S. and around the world and how this new situation is impacting seniors by decreasing their prescription drug use and improving their quality of life.

How To Watch The Series

"The Whole Story with Anderson Cooper" will stream live for pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN OTT and mobile apps on Sunday, August 6, 2023. It will be available on demand beginning Monday, August 7, 2023 to pay TV subscribers via CNN.com, CNN apps, and Cable Operator Platforms. Past episodes of the series will available to stream now on Max.

The Whole Story is also available as a CNN Audio showcast. 

Photo CNN