By: Hal C Clarke

Gail Zanchelli used to turn her nose up at weed. As a teen on Long Island, she tried it once, hated it, and never looked back. Fast forward a few decades, and the 64-year-old Deer Park resident is popping THC gummies like they’re part of her bedtime skincare routine.

“I tried it, never liked it,” Zanchelli told the New York Post. “But now? It’s the only thing that helps.”

Every night before bed, Zanchelli takes a solid 60 milligrams of THC — the active component in marijuana — to soothe chronic pain in her tailbone. She swears by it. “When I wake up, I’m fine,” she said. “It’s like the high is gone, and the pain is gone.” Just like that.

Zanchelli is part of a mellow new movement: older New Yorkers turning to cannabis not for kicks, but for comfort. And they’re not alone. According to federal data, marijuana use among adults 65 and older has jumped from a barely-there 0.4% in 2007 to nearly 8% by 2022. And that number is expected to keep climbing — because apparently, aches and pains don’t stand a chance against a gummy and a good night’s sleep.

Dispensary owners across the city say seniors are some of their most loyal — and knowledgeable — customers. At Bliss + Lex on the Upper East Side, more than 800 folks over 65 have stopped by since March 1. The oldest was 93. “They aren’t interested in the fluff,” owner Nicole Lucien laughed. “They want to get high.”

Over at Flower Power on the Upper West Side, the silver-haired stoner set is even more dominant. “Sixty percent of our customers are over 60,” said president Angelo Kitkas. “And up to 10% are over 90.” Most of them, he said, are educated, curious, and completely unfazed by the once-heavy stigma of weed. “They know what they want,” Kitkas added.

Even The Flowery Upper West Side sees a steady stream of golden-years ganja fans. Owner Moe Ashor said many are returning to pot after decades away. “They’ll say, ‘I’ve been smoking since before your mom was born,’” he laughed. “They left it behind in their 30s or 40s, but now it’s back — and with edibles, vapes, and all the new options, it’s more discreet and socially accepted than ever.”

Still, not everyone is cheering the cannabis comeback. A new Canadian study found that hospital visits tied to marijuana use in seniors spiked 27-fold from 2008 to 2021 — and those patients had a higher risk of developing dementia. Researchers warned that regular use might alter brain structure or increase the likelihood of other risk factors like high blood pressure, depression, or injuries.

But Zanchelli isn’t sweating it. She’s got more immediate things to deal with, like caring for her elderly parents and younger sister, who all live under her roof. And thanks to her nighttime ritual, she can still get up in the middle of the night and help when needed. The only side effect? A little dry mouth.

“I haven’t thought about long-term effects, I really haven’t,” she admitted. “I gotta do what I gotta do.”

So while medical experts continue to debate the risks, Zanchelli and her fellow “cannaseniors” are lighting up, winding down, and catching some serious Zs — all without the prescription bottles. And in her words, it beats a handful of Advil any day.