Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we look at cannabis use and surgery, another take on Cannabis Use Disorder, an alternative to vaping that uses nano technology and more. Enjoy.
Cannabis and Surgery
Top takeaway: If you are scheduled for surgery, tell your doctor that you use cannabis and how you consume it.
If a person is a regular cannabis user, how he or she consumes it may be a factor when planning for surgery. That’s a key finding from a study conducted by researchers affiliated with Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Philadelphia, Johns Hopkins University and Rutgers University.
The study, which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, reviewed 280 gastrointestinal endoscopic procedures (i.e., colonoscopies and upper endoscopies) performed at a single facility.
The analysis included 264 patients with complete information about their cannabis use: 217 non-users, 38 who reported inhaled use and nine who reported oral use, such as gummies or other edibles.
According to Dennis Thompson, who covered the story for the online publication HealthDay, the researchers found that those who smoked or vaped cannabis needed an average dose of 169 milligrams of the anesthetic propofol during colonoscopy or upper endoscopy procedures, compared to 139 milligrams among non-users and 114 milligrams among those who used cannabis edibles.
Said lead researcher Dr. Basavana Goudra, an anesthesiologist at Sidney Kimmel Medical College in Philadelphia, “For physicians, simply asking, ‘Do you use cannabis?’ may no longer be sufficient. The most important message for patients is to be honest with their anesthesiologist about cannabis, including how they use it — smoking, vaping or edible products — how often they use it and when they last used it.”
Thompson noted that the researchers reported that the biggest difference they found was among people undergoing upper endoscopy, a procedure in which a thin tube is inserted through the mouth to examine the throat and upper airway.
In that instance, those who smoked cannabis required 193 milligrams of propofol for proper sedation during upper endoscopy, compared to 151 milligrams for non-users and 145 milligrams for edibles users, researchers said.
Researchers speculated these differences could be due to the ways cannabis is processed by the body, based on the route of consumption. When smoked, THC is processed rapidly through the lungs. On the other hand, the THC in cannabis edibles is processed by the liver, which produces a slower but sometimes longer state of intoxication.
To learn more, we urge you to read Dennis Thompson’s excellent reporting, which was reprinted in the October 19, 2026 issue of U.S.News.com.
Cannabis News and Notes
Top takeaway: Most daily cannabis consumers don’t meet the criteria for “moderate” or “severe” cannabis use disorder.
While much has been made in the media about emergency rooms supposedly being swamped by cases of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD), a new study published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine indicates the condition is not as prevalent as reported.
According to an article that appeared on the website of the cannabis advocacy group NORML, a team of investigators affiliated with the University of Maine, Columbia University in New York, and the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire assessed CUD severity in a cohort of 4,000 daily consumers. On average, participants reported consuming at least 200 mg of THC per day.
What they found was that nearly one-third (30 percent) of participants did not meet criteria for CUD. People are said to suffer from CUD if they meet two out of 11 possible diagnostic criteria, such as experiencing feelings of craving or withdrawal.
The researchers also found that of that same group, forty-five percent of respondents were said to suffer from “mild” CUD. What that meant behaviorally was that participants in this category were likely to acknowledge spending a “great deal of time” on activities related to cannabis and/or expressing a “strong desire” to consume cannabis.
In addition, only three percent of that group of 4,000 respondents met the criteria for “severe” CUD.
Wrote the researchers in their journal article, “Surprisingly, even though participants in our sample reported consuming on average over 200 mg [of] THC per day, the majority of the sample either did not meet CUD criteria or met criteria for mild CUD.”
According to the NORML staff that prepared the article that appeared on its website, the study’s findings are consistent with those of a recent UC San Diego study that found that among seniors diagnosed with CUD, only four percent experienced severe symptoms. By contrast, 76 percent of older Americans who met the criteria for CUD were described as having only “mild” symptoms.
While “mild” CUD symptoms are not nothing, after closer examination the supposed onslaught of emergency room cases of CUD doesn’t appear to be the “something” the media has made it out to be.
The folks at NORML also pointed to a series of Substack posts by Dr. Peter Grinspoon – a cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital – who expressed a concern that when we “overestimate the prevalence of cannabis addiction, we muddy the societal debate about the relative harms and benefits of integrating cannabis into medical care.”
Unfortunately, detailed, fact-based reporting doesn’t always make for compelling headlines.
To learn more, we urge you to read the article that appeared in the October 15, 2026 issue of the NORML website. Click on the link below.
Spotlight on Technology
Top takeaway: A new pressurized cannabis inhaler offers the benefits of vaping without combustion.
There may be good news for cannabis consumers who don’t enjoy the combustion and heat associated with vaping. A company called Everyday Edibles has developed a cannabis delivery device it claims is an innovative alternative to vaping or smoking cannabis.
The device, called CoolMST, is described as a pocket-sized, pressurized cannabis inhaler that delivers an ultra-fine aerosol with each press.
Each inhaler contains 200 metered sprays of 5 MGs of THC. The pressurized aerosol relies on nano- technology to deliver a mist of cannabis without heating or coils and “virtually no odor.” The compact, pocket-sized design makes for convenient use where legally permitted.
Said Dave Ledwell, co-owner of Paradigm Partners and Brands, “It’s very discreet, with no smoke, no smell and a low profile. That flexibility is what makes this technology so exciting. It creates an alternative for cannabis consumers when traditional smoking or vaping may not fit the moment.”
Added Alan Manstof, owner of EasyDay Edibles, “CoolMST expands upon our patients’ choices while staying true to our EasyDay brand’s roots.”
Said Manstof, “We’re taking the spirit of our Up & Focus and Rest & Relax lineup beyond edibles and vapes, introducing a Citrus inhaler for daytime and a Mint inhaler for nighttime. CoolMST gives patients another way to experience EasyDay in a simple, discreet format that’s easy to carry.”
The development of the technology has been a collaborative effort. EasyDay Edibles, a Washington, D.C. cannabis brand, is known for creating easy to use cannabis products. Paradigm Partners and Brands (PPB) is a product development and distribution solutions company based in Fairfax, Virginia and is the exclusive licensor of CoolMST technology in the US (Except for CA and CO). R2 Innovations, Inc. (“R2”), established in 2014 and located in Centennial, Colorado, provides aerosol equipment licensing, components and operational expertise for the cannabis industry, globally.
Takoma Wellness Center and Cookies DC, will be the first dispensaries to receive these inhalers.
To learn more, we suggest reading the product description that appeared in the October 15, 2026 issue of Ganjapreneur.com. Just click on the following link.
ganjapreneur.com/easyday-edibles-introduces-a-brand-new-cannabis-delivery-method-to-washington-d-c/
Cannabis and Veterans
Top takeaway: A new survey found the majority of veterans support legalizing marijuana for recreational and medical use.
According to a new survey conducted by Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA), a strong majority of military veterans support legalizing marijuana and other cannabis-related reforms.
That’s the word from Tom Angell reporting for Marijuana Moment. According to Angell, the organization polled 470 of its members. It found that 61 percent want to legalize cannabis for recreational purposes and 87 percent want to allow medical use.
In addition, the survey findings revealed that 91 percent of respondents believe that cannabis should be researched for its medical potential and 88 percent want the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) itself to allow research into marijuana as a treatment option.
Angell also noted that while the survey found that 70 percent of respondents said they would be comfortable discussing medical cannabis with their primary care doctor, only 29 percent have actually done so.
As always, Tom Angell’s reporting is clear and concise. You can learn more by reading his article in the October 19, 2026 issue of Marijuana Moment.net.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com and at 347-528-8753.