The National Council for Aging Care has recently released its complete guide to medical marijuana for seniors.
The report touches on a brief history of the drug and its legal use before the 20th century and also discusses state bans of the drug and hemp that started around 1910.
The report also discusses the early days of use in the U.S. of the drug in a medicinal form, which only began about 20 years ago.
Today the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cannot approve cannabis for medicinal use and it was only this summer that the first FDA approved medicine that is derived from natural cannabis was approved. It’s called Epidiolex and is a CBD-based seizure medicine.
The report notes a Washington Post survey, that found that out of 7,500 patients questioned, more than 90 percent reported that medical marijuana helped their conditions. Over 2,300 of the respondents were seniors, and was the study’s largest group.
The fact that marijuana doesn’t have to be only smoked is opening a plethora of product choices for senior citizens that include edibles and topical products.
The drug has showed evidence of being effective for arthritis, nerve damage, chronic pain, and pain even from cancer.
The report also outlined marijuana’s use as an appetite stimulant in eating disorders, which greatly affect older individuals. It also notes how a small amount of THC can boost brain function in animals studied which is significant for the elderly population that can see cognitive decline.
