Many older consumers are finding that using cannabis products can present some unexpected social challenges. For example, do they tell their friends and family that they have decided to use medical or recreational marijuana or CBD oil? What’s the best way to bring up the subject? If they are still working, should they tell their co-workers?
Fortunately, there is a new guide designed to help them address many of these issues. Etiquette expert Lizzie Post has written “Higher Etiquette: A Guide to the World of Cannabis, from Dispensaries to Dinner Parties” (Ten Speed Press). As the great-great-granddaughter of etiquette expert Emily Post, Lizzie Post is carrying on the family business of helping Americans navigate complicated social issues.
For example, she suggests that when talking with a family member about your decision to use cannabis it’s important to communicate the information in a confident manner and emphasize the personal reasons that motivated your decision.
More information can be found in the article by Hannah Sparks in the March 26, 2019 issue of the New York Post.
Senior Celebrity Spotlight
Well-known senior influencer and domestic doyenne Martha Stewart has signed a development deal with one of the largest cannabis companies in the world. Stewart has entered into a business partnership with Canadian cannabis company Canopy Growth. She will serve as an advisor to the company and assist in the development of a line of CBD-based pet products. Canopy Growth operates 10 licensed marijuana and hemp production sites and sold over 10 tons of marijuana and marijuana equivalents in October through December 2018 alone.
According to a report from CNBC, the company has several clinical trials underway and plans to benefit from Stewart’s consumer experience while exploring the effects of CBD on human and animal health. You can learn more in the February 28, 2019 issue of CNBC.com.
CBD and Other Medications
While there is no question CBD supplements are growing in popularity with seniors and others, experts say there are still some questions about how such supplements may interact with other medications seniors are taking.
In some cases that interaction may be benign. In other cases, however, it can be more significant. For example, the way you use CBD—whether you swallow it, place it under your tongue or rub it into your skin as a salve or ointment—may contribute to the way it interacts with other medication in your system and in some cases may diminish the medication’s effectiveness.
The size of the dose of the CBD taken and when it is taken, in relation to the rest of a person’s medication schedule, are also factors that may have an effect. As with adding any other supplement to a senior’s established medication program, it can be wise to discuss taking CBDs with your physician.
Julia Ries addresses these and other issues in greater detail in her article “CBD May Possibly Interfere With Your Daily Medication.” It appears in the March 21,2019 issue of the Huffington Post.
CBDs and Pets
While CBDs are showing up in a wide range of consumer products for humans and animals, you may want to think twice before you share a CBD-infused treat with your dog or cat. So says the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). In an article in WellandGood.com, the Society warns pets can actually overdose on CBD products created for humans. The key issue, as it is for humans, is doseage. Ian Quinn, CEO of Phyto Animal Health acknowledges the amount of CBD needed for each pet depends on their weight.
Certain CBD products marketed specifically for animals may have instructions and outline the appropriate dosage for your specific pet based on its size. Quinn says when buying a CBD treat for your pet you should look for a reputable company and see if you can acquire a certificate of analysis (COA) from the manufacturer, which will prove that the product contains what it claims on the label. Said Quinn, “You want to make sure that your CBD oil is abundant in CBD and low in THC, or in some cases, doesn’t have any THC at all.” More information is available in the March 1, 2019 issue of Good and Well.com.
Heart Health
There is hopeful news involving cannabis and a treatment for heart failure. Experts say there is already some research suggesting cannabidiol, or CBD, has anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic properties that may prove beneficial for treating some types of heart failure. However, finding the correct dose can be a challenge. That’s because if taken orally, the liver removes much of the CBD before it enters the bloodstream.
Fortunately, a biotech company with a background in heart therapy research, Cardiol Therapeutics, has announced it has developed a patented nanotechnology solution for the targeted delivery of CBD and other drugs to inflamed tissues. Using this miniature technology may make for a big change in the treatment of heart failure. In addition, Cardiol will soon be launching its ultra-pure pharmaceutical CBD oil into the Canadian medical market. To learn more, visit www.cardiolrx.com.
Tech Talk
A growing number of seniors have decided to use a vaporizer when using medical marijuana. Many believe this allows them to take advantage the health benefits attributed to medical marijuana while avoiding a number of the health issues and problems, such as carcinogens and tar, associated with actually smoking marijuana. That’s because when a vaporizer is used the herb is only heated to the point where the desired cannabinoids— typically found in the resin of the flower—are released without igniting and destroying the cannabis.
However, using a vaporizer does not eliminate the challenge of finding and ingesting the correct dose of cannabis, which can make using a vaporizer a hit or miss experience. Fortunately, there may be good news for seniors and others who rely on using a vaporizer. A company called PotBotics, described as a leading data aggregation and technology company in the global medical cannabis market, says it has found a way to provide a more consistent and predictable experience. To that end it has introduced a new dose-measuring vaporizer.
Called RYAH, the device is described as the first vaporizer that lets users track and control a wide range of variables—including inhalation amount and temperatures—to ensure consistent and predictable results when used with its medical-grade oil or dry herb capsules. More information can be found at www.potbotics.com and https://us.ryah.com.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach us at seniorcannabisdigest@gmail.com or by calling 347-528-8753.