Could be that they’re not measuring substance abuse but the viability of smoked weed as a pain medication in people over 65.
My dad has heart and lung issues and I encouraged him to quit smoking and be mindful with the edibles. THC does bind to receptors in the heart and it is concerning with his health, regardless of consumption method.
CBD is relatively safe but can have drug interactions too because of liver substrate inhibition preventing other medication from being metabolized.
A lot of reasons to not assume weed is safe in 65 year olds who often eat a handful of other meds every day.