Concert Joe: 72-Year-Old Superfan Credits Cannabis for 24,000-Show Career

A 72-year-old concert enthusiast known as "Concert Joe" has attended more than 24,000 live music performances over the past 50 years, and he credits cannabis with making it possible to keep going despite physical ailments.

The superfan's story highlights a growing demographic trend in the cannabis market: older Americans using marijuana for pain management and quality of life improvements. While Concert Joe's concert attendance puts him in rarefied air among music fans, his use of cannabis for mobility and pain relief reflects broader adoption patterns among seniors.

"Weed and music are the only things keeping me moving," Concert Joe said, describing how cannabis helps him manage the physical toll of decades spent standing at shows.

The 24,000-concert milestone—averaging roughly 480 shows per year or more than one per day—represents an extraordinary commitment to live music. But it's also taken a physical toll. Concert Joe reports battling bad knees after five decades of concert-going, a common issue for aging music fans who've spent countless hours standing on concrete floors at venues.

The Senior Cannabis Market

Concert Joe's experience aligns with data showing increased cannabis adoption among older Americans. According to recent surveys, cannabis use among adults over 65 has risen significantly in recent years, with many citing pain management, sleep issues, and inflammation as primary reasons for use.

The legal cannabis industry has taken notice. Several companies now market products specifically to seniors, emphasizing pain relief, anti-inflammatory properties, and lower-dose options suitable for older consumers who may be new to cannabis or prefer milder effects.

For Concert Joe, cannabis serves a functional purpose: keeping him mobile enough to continue pursuing his passion. The plant's anti-inflammatory and pain-relieving properties are well-documented, though federal restrictions on cannabis research have limited large-scale clinical studies on its effectiveness for conditions like arthritis and joint pain.

Culture Meets Commerce

The intersection of cannabis and live music has long been part of American counterculture, but Concert Joe's story represents something different: cannabis as a practical tool for aging enthusiasts to maintain active lifestyles.

This use case—cannabis for active aging—represents a growing segment of the $30 billion U.S. cannabis market. Products marketed for athletic recovery, inflammation, and mobility issues have proliferated in both medical and adult-use markets.

The music industry itself has increasingly embraced cannabis partnerships, with festivals and venues in legal states often featuring cannabis brands and consumption areas. Some older concert-goers report that legal access to cannabis products has made it easier to manage the physical demands of attending shows.

What's Next

As the U.S. population ages and cannabis legalization expands, stories like Concert Joe's may become more common. The baby boomer generation—many of whom came of age during the 1960s and 70s counterculture—now represents a significant portion of the cannabis market.

For Concert Joe, the math is simple: cannabis enables him to keep doing what he loves. Whether he'll make it to 25,000 concerts remains to be seen, but his five-decade run shows no signs of stopping.

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This article is based on original reporting by hightimes.com.