Skip to content

Older adults and medical marijuana: Reduced stigma and increased use

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

The Lack of Clinical Trials in the Medical Marijuana Industry

As time goes on, medical marijuana is starting to break barriers in various states across the country. Out of the 50 states, 33 have approved a comprehensive medical marijuana program (NCSL). Currently, marijuana, medical or recreational, is illegal at the federal level, despite legalization in various states. Many medical professionals are interested in prescribing medical…
Read More

Customize Your Patient Notes with Arfinn Med

Joining the text messaging update, the Arfinn Med portal now presents the ability to create note taking templates. This innovative addition will allow physicians to streamline the data and information that they are collecting from patients, resulting in their cases staying aligned and concise. Additionally, through this function, physicians will be able to pick and…
Read More

LEGALIZING CANNABIS LINKED TO LESS OPIOID PRESCRIPTIONS, COULD HELP COMBAT EPIDEMIC, SCIENTISTS SAY

There are less opioid prescriptions on average in U.S. states where medical and recreational marijuana are legal, research has revealed. Access to recreational cannabis in the U.S. was tied with a 11.8 percent lower rate of opioids prescriptions each day, and 4.2 percent for medical marijuana. The authors of the paper published in the Journal of Health Economics said recreational weed…
Read More

July Updates

In our quest to save medical marijuana clinics valuable time, Arfinn Med has continued to release new functionality that improves EMR workflows.  This has led to the development of our new telehealth platform, new automated patient intake emails, and generating all state required documentation.  Continuing on our quest, we are proud to release our new…
Read More

New Feature: Text Message Treatment Updates

New to the Arfinn Med portal comes the ability to receive real time updates from patients via text messaging. This new addition will allow physicians to stay up to date on current patient efficacies as well as streamline the data collection process. Through the new text messaging function, physicians are able to send patients automated…
Read More

European Parliament Passes Cannabis Resolution, Joins WHO In Supporting Medical Marijuana

Following reports about the World Health Organization (WHO) recommending a rescheduling of cannabis and several of its key components under international drug treaties, the European Parliament voted on Wednesday on a resolution that would help advance medical cannabis in the countries that form the European Union. Read the full story here.
Read More

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.