Marijuana has been gaining acceptance for years and one group that is turning to the plant more than ever are older Americans.
According to a study from this past April, the number of Americans age 65 and older who smoke marijuana or enjoy edibles increased 75% from 2015 to 2018. Research out of the University of California – San Diego has also revealed that adults are using cannabis to treat a host of common health conditions.
The study was published this month in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society and found that out of 568 patients surveyed, 15% had used cannabis within the past three years. The results also revealed that half of the users reported using it regularly and mostly for medical purposes.
According to the results, out of the patients who used cannabis, 61% didn’t start until after age 60.
“Pain, insomnia and anxiety were the most common reasons for cannabis use and, for the most part, patients reported that cannabis was helping to address these issues, especially with insomnia and pain,” remarked Christopher Kaufmann, co-first author of the study and assistant professor in the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego.
“Surprisingly, we found that nearly three-fifths of cannabis users reported using cannabis for the first time as older adults. These individuals were a unique group compared to those who used cannabis in the past,” said Kevin Yang, co-first author and third-year medical student at UC San Diego.
“New users were more likely to use cannabis for medical reasons than for recreation. The route of cannabis use also differed, with new users more likely to use it topically as a lotion rather than by smoking or ingesting as edibles,” he added. “Also, they were more likely to inform their doctor about their cannabis use, which reflects that cannabis use is no longer as stigmatized as it was previously.”
“The findings demonstrate the need for the clinical workforce to become aware of cannabis use by seniors and to gain awareness of both the benefits and risks of cannabis use in their patient population,” said Alison Moore, senior author and chief of the Division of Geriatrics in the Department of Medicine at UC San Diego School of Medicine. “Given the prevalence of use, it may be important to incorporate evidence-backed information about cannabis use into medical school and use screening questions about cannabis as a regular part of clinic visits.”
“There seems to be potential with cannabis, but we need more evidence-based research. We want to find out how cannabis compares to current medications available,” Kaufmann said. “Could cannabis be a safer alternative to treatments, such as opioids and benzodiazepines? Could cannabis help reduce the simultaneous use of multiple medications in older persons? We want to find out which conditions cannabis is most effective in treating. Only then can we better counsel older adults on cannabis use.”
