Why do some seniors choose weed over pills? Report Nyt
In 2007, only 0.4% of those over 65 in the United States reported using cannabis in the past year but by 2022 the percentage was higher than 8%. Here are therapeutic risks and benefits during aging. The New York Times article
Seniors are one of the fastest growing cannabis user populations in the United States. While some have been using for decades, studies suggest others are turning to the drug for the first time to sleep better, ease pain or treat anxiety – especially when prescription drugs, which often have unwanted side effects, don't work as expected. The NYT writes.
MORE AND MORE ELDERLY PEOPLE ARE SMOKING WEED (THERAPEUTIC PURPOSES)
In 2007, only about 0.4 percent of people 65 and older in the United States reported using cannabis in the past year, according to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This number rose to nearly 3% in 2016. In 2022, the percentage was above 8%.
Nancy Herring, 76, has used cannabis recreationally all her adult life – she describes herself as “one of the hippies of the '60s”. But it wasn't until her husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease and dementia two years ago that she began to wonder about the therapeutic use of weed.
During the course of the illness, the husband, now 79 years old, had developed insomnia. Soon neither of them could sleep anymore. Doctors prescribed pills to help him rest, but "nothing really worked," Herring said. At one point, he reacted so badly to a drug that he ended up in the hospital. Then they tried cannabis by purchasing it at a store near where they live in Clearwater, Florida. Now, after some gum and a hit of a pipe, her husband “can sleep at night, which is a huge thing,” she added.
PROMISES AND RISKS OF CANNABIS
The therapeutic properties of marijuana have not been well studied, especially among older users, making it difficult for doctors to counsel their patients about the benefits and risks. Cannabis companies have rushed to fill this void, offering advice to seniors on doses or formulations and even creating products aimed at them. Meanwhile, as more and more seniors experiment with cannabis, they exchange information about its benefits and share problems they've encountered along the way.
“People are just desperate,” said Dr. Aaron Greenstein, a geriatric psychiatrist in Denver. “They are willing to try anything.” When her grandmother became convinced she was reliving the Holocaust during the final stages of her dementia, taking a dissolvable pill with a small amount of THC – the psychoactive component of marijuana – ended her flashbacks and helped her feel at peace .
“I have had dozens of patients tell me it has cured their various ailments,” said Dr. Haley V. Solomon, a San Diego geriatric psychiatrist who, along with Dr. Greenstein, has written about the promises and risks of using of cannabis by the elderly. “I think it's really important to listen to them, learn and then study further.”
Older adults need to be aware of potential drug interactions, he added, and also consider how cannabis may affect cognition, coordination and balance.
BETTER THAN MEDICINE?
Without a north star to guide seniors on how to use cannabis, there is a grassroots effort among some seniors to teach each other.
Carminetta Verner, 88, has become the primary source of information about cannabis in her retirement community, the sprawling Leisure World complex in Montgomery County, Md., which is home to about 8,000 older people. In 2018, he founded a club dedicated to educating residents about medical cannabis. The club's membership, which has now grown to 100 people, could be larger if not for the stigma still associated with the product, Verner said.
“There are a lot of people here who are in pain and suffering, and the medicine doesn't work for them,” he explained.
Damien Cornwell, owner of a dispensary in Binghamton, N.Y., which opened in February, said his business has attracted customers “looking for relief they can't find at doctors' offices.” They have disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, anxiety and insomnia.
As more states legalize cannabis — it is now allowed for recreational use in more than 20 states and Washington, D.C., and for medical use in 38 states and D.C. — the number of seniors turning to marijuana will continue to grow, officials say experts. An October Gallup poll found that about two-thirds of adults 55 and older think marijuana use should be legal.
SENIORS ARE A POTENTIAL GOLD MINE FOR CANNABIS COMPANIES
Steve Hickerson, who lives in Laguna Woods, California, wants to sleep better. He has used sublingual cannabis drops, but said they didn't help, so he is trying gummies, "which seem to work much better." In the past he believed that using mind-altering drugs was morally wrong – “I'm a Christian,” he explained – but now, he said, “I'm 79, things are different.” He is willing to explore products that have medical use.
Companies are capitalizing on the new interest. Earlier this year, Hickerson was transported to an event hosted by Glass House, one of the country's largest cannabis brands, along with about 50 other people from his retirement community who were offered cannabis products with a substantial discount.
The Trulieve company, which has the largest cannabis retail space in the United States and a 750,000-square-foot cannabis cultivation facility in North Florida, is also reaching out to seniors through educational sessions in community.
Kim Rivers, co-founder and CEO of Trulieve, said their “senior” customers – those 55 and older – are growing every year. In Florida, he added, these adults represent 20% of their customer base.
Bristol Extracts, which produces cannabis in New York, created a brand called Senior Moments – a collection of ointments, jellies and mints that debuted in March. “It's time to liven things up a bit!”, it says on the company's website. “Aging doesn't have to be trivial.” The brand's edible products also contain ingredients such as ginkgo biloba, which are advertised to support "memory and mood." The line will soon include body balms and gummies that work as both a sleep aid and an aphrodisiac, said Eric Blazak, the company's founder and CEO.
WHAT THE DOCTORS SAY
Because cannabis is not federally legal, doctors don't have enough research to help them understand what conditions it is useful for, who might be most at risk for potential harm, how to dose it correctly or which strains to recommend, Dr. Benjamin Han, an addiction medicine specialist at the University of California, San Diego, and one of the few geriatricians in the United States who studies older adults and substance use.
“What makes it even more complicated is that cannabis is a very complex plant,” he added, and there are more than 100 cannabinoids – the biologically active components of the cannabis plant – as well as products with different ratios of THC to cannabidiol (CBD).
Start slowly and calmly. If a patient wants to try cannabis products containing THC, Dr. Han recommends starting with a low dose (typically 1 milligram to 2.5 milligrams) and “letting a week pass” before deciding to increase it.
Taking excessive doses of edibles can cause dizziness, confusion, changes in heart rate and blood pressure, panic attacks, anxiety, nausea, vomiting and can even land some people in the emergency room. One study, led by Dr. Han, found that emergency room visits associated with cannabis use among older adults increased by more than 1,800 percent in California – from 366 in 2005 to 12,167 in 2019.
KNOW THE RISKS BUT DON'T BE AFRAID
Older users can draw on their previous experience with the drug, but "today's cannabis is very different," he said. "It is stronger. And then there are all those physiological changes that occur with aging and that make you more sensitive than you were 40 years ago." “It's important to talk to a doctor or healthcare professional about it, especially if you're using it for medical reasons to treat chronic illnesses or chronic symptoms,” Dr. Han said.
Cannabis can interact with some medications, such as warfarin, a drug used to treat blood clots. Seniors who take sedative-hypnotics like Ambien or benzodiazepines like Xanax – or who drink alcohol – should avoid cannabis, according to Dr. Solomon, because when combined with these drugs it can cause dizziness and confusion and make seniors more susceptible to falls and injuries.
Additionally, smoking cannabis can trigger respiratory symptoms in those with chronic lung disease, Dr. Han added.
Verner recommends going to licensed dispensaries that sell third-party tested products. Furthermore, it is a good idea to inform yourself about state regulations. “You have to read up, don't be afraid of things,” he said. “You have to know what works for you and then go from there.” Through trial and error he discovered that cannabinol, which is non-psychoactive, was the most helpful for his insomnia. Now he takes fewer pills: just one for thyroid levels and another to reduce blood pressure. Many seniors “find themselves with all these medicine bottles,” he said. “And I don't think it's necessary.” There is also the risk of cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, a condition that causes recurrent vomiting in heavy marijuana users.
(Excerpt from the foreign press review edited by eprcomunicazione )
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/sanita/perche-alcuni-anziani-scelgono-lerba-al-posto-delle-pillole-report-nyt/ on Sat, 25 Nov 2023 07:22:08 +0000.