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

Alternative Mississippi medical marijuana program barely wins approval from Senate

JACKSON • Legislation that would create a new medical marijuana program in Mississippi if the voter-approved Initiative 65 is overturned in court cleared the state Senate on the second try last week early on Friday morning. Senate Bill 2765, the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act, failed by a single vote Thursday evening. But six hours later, after…
Read More →

IBD and Cannabinoid Medicine

With an estimated 3.1 million adults diagnosed with Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD) in the United States, it’s natural that many people are asking about the possible benefits of cannabis for the symptoms associated with IBD. In fact, the University of Michigan Health Department received so many questions regarding this issue, that they released a Q&A…
Read More →

Survey of oncologists finds knowledge gap on medical marijuana

As more states legalize medical marijuana, two key groups — researchers whose job is it to understand its benefits and drawbacks, and physicians charged with advising potential users — are struggling to catch up with policymakers. Ilana Braun, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and chief of the division of adult psychosocial…
Read More →

Aching for a Better Alternative?

To close out Arthritis Awareness Month, we’re highlighting how medical marijuana may be a beneficial alternative treatment for this painful and debilitating disease. With over 31 million Americans suffering from various types of arthritis, the condition stands as the leading disability throughout the U.S. As many may know, arthritis is most common among the middle-aged…
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 →

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 →

Leave a Comment

You must be logged in to post a comment.