Skip to content

Older adults and medical marijuana: Reduced stigma and increased use

April 24, 2020 / Arfinn Med MD /

Older adults and medical marijuana: Reduced stigma and increased use

As a primary care doctor who has incorporated medical cannabis into his practice, it is notable how many silver-haired patients are coming in to discuss the pros and cons of a trial of medical cannabis. These patients range from people in their 60s with kidney failure who can no longer take certain pain medications but still need to manage chronic pain, to patients in their 90s, who are looking for a good night’s sleep and are leery of the side effects of traditional sleep medications. Some of them — typically “children of the 60s” — are quite comfortable with the idea of using medical marijuana; others bring it up quietly, as if they are asking permission to break the law.

According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, cannabis use among older adults (defined as 65 and older) in the US has been steadily increasing. In this study, the prevalence of past-year use increased from 2.4% to 4.2% from 2015 to 2018. This study is consistent with other research, as well as with reports from physicians who recommend cannabis in their daily practices.

What might be behind this trend?

Read Full Article Here

Stories you may be interested in

Illinois dispensary to allow patients to substitute medical marijuana for opioids prescription

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. (KMOV.com) — Thursday, Illinois will become the first state to launch a revised medical marijuana program. The program allows pain suffers who use opioids to temporarily switch to medical marijuana. Following months of planning, the new initiative will launch at the HCI Alternatives medical cannabis dispensary in Springfield, Illinois. In a press release,…
Read More →

World Cancer Day – Shine a Light on the World

In 2018, it was estimated that 1,735,350 new cancer cases would be diagnosed in the United States and 609,640 individuals would pass from the disease [Cancer.gov]. We cannot sit by and ignore this life altering disease, which is why World Cancer Day, recognized on Feb. 4, is such an important awareness campaign to the Arfinn…
Read More →

Study on cannabis chemical as a treatment for pancreatic cancer may have ‘major impact,’ Harvard researcher says

Pancreatic cancer makes up just 3 percent of all cancers in America. But with a one-year survival rate of just 20 percent (and five-year survival rate of less than 8), it’s predicted to be the second leading cause of cancer-related death by 2020. Headlines about the illness, as a result, tend to be discouraging. But this month scientists from Harvard University’s Dana-Farber…
Read More →

Insomnia: A Silent Epidemic

The struggle to get a good night’s sleep is something many adults can relate to, but what if there was a natural alternative to keep those sheep jumping all night long? CBD, also known as cannabidiol, has been gaining popularity among patients to help treat pain, anxiety and so much more. Additionally, conditions such as…
Read More →

Updated Arfinn Med Scheduler

As your practice begins to grow, it’s important that your booking system is able to keep up.  That’s why Arfinn Med has just released, in its newest update, the multi-view scheduling and booking platform.  This allows you and/or your staff the ability to customize appointment types, hours of availability, display name, and confirmation emails for…
Read More →

After marijuana edibles helped dying Holocaust survivor battle Alzheimer’s, his family’s foundation pushes for more research

A Massachusetts family’s experience giving marijuana edibles to their dying patriarch is set to kick off a desperately needed investigation into how cannabis might treat some of the more troubling symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, a condition that affects 5.7 million Americans. Read the full story here.
Read More →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.