Seniors in Colorado may be blurring the boundaries between sources of medical marijuana and recreational marijuana. That’s one takeaway from a new study of 274 respondents between the ages of 60 and 94 conducted by the University of Colorado. The study suggests many seniors in that state are bypassing the medical marijuana system and are buying cannabis products at adult-use stores in order to self-medicate. They are doing this even though the cannabis available through the medical marijuana program is usually cheaper because it is taxed at a lower rate.
The study, which was published in the May 14, 2019 issue of The Gerontologist, also found that while seniors reported they use cannabis to address a variety of conditions, the most common reason was to manage arthritis and back pain, followed by anxiety and depression.
In an interview with Bruce Kennedy for Leafly, Dr. Hillary Lum, the study’s co-author, said the decision by seniors to purchase marijuana without a medical cannabis card, even though they are using cannabis to address medical issues such as pain, could be an indication that seniors and other consumers find it difficult to approach doctors and other healthcare providers for information about marijuana’s medical benefits and risks.
Lum said the medical community needs more information and training on cannabis so it can properly advise its patients. Her advice to older patients considering cannabis is to bring up the subject with their doctors and to be strong advocates for their own health. You can learn more by reading Bruce Kennedy’s detailed article on the study in the June 3, 2019 issue of Leafly.
More on Seniors and Medical Marijuana
According to the financial website “Learn Bonds,” a new study in the Journal of Drugs and Aging reveals that seniors express financial concerns about leaving their usual care providers in order to enter the medical marijuana program. The study found that the situation was further aggravated when the authorizing physician who would prescribe medical marijuana was not a part of a patient’s provider network and so could not bill their insurer for a marijuana card evaluation. As a result, a number of people told the researchers they preferred to stay with doctors who were familiar with their medical history and forego the evaluation.
Regulating The CBD Marketplace
If the CBD marketplace really is the “Wild West,” then the public hearing held by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 31 was a necessary step toward bringing some order to the chaos and reining in the bad actors. According to Keith Speights, writing in “The Motley Fool,” one of the constant themes voiced during the hearing was that the CBD marketplace is flooded with “sketchy players selling junk products.” Speights said a number of individuals offered lab data as part of their testimony showing that bottles of “300 mg CBD oil” actually contained 22 mg., or no CBD at all.
Dr. Amy Abernathy, the FDA’s principal deputy commissioner and acting CIO, who is leading a working group to explore how CBD products could be sold legally, tweeted on Friday that “given the rapid expansion of the market, timely clarification of the path forward is critical.” Unfortunately, said Speight, the FDA probably won’t move as quickly as the industry would like.
Speights says it’s probable the FDA will take the hardest line on CBD products that are included in foods and beverages (Ben and Jerry’s CBD Ice Cream anyone?) where it will want to determine safe dosage levels as well as quality assurance requirements.
Speights’ comprehensive reporting on the hearing can be found in the June 4, 2019 issue of “The Motley Fool.”
Cannabis Trends
A growing number of people are finding less may be more when it comes to using cannabis. The practice, called “microdosing,” —using cannabis in very small amounts—is being touted as a cleaner and more manageable way to consume cannabis products. An article by M.Carroll in the April 23, 2019 issue of the cannabis information site “ALLBUD,” suggests the practice may be of particular interest to new consumers or those who have been inhibited by the social stigma attached to using cannabis.
While Carroll doesn’t list mature consumers as part of this group, many would fit the profile. The article reports microdosing may be beneficial to such people by letting them start to use cannabis at their own pace. Some consumers like the idea of not making a commitment to smoking, dabbing, or vaping habits while others want to use cannabis to address medical problems without seeing themselves as “stoners.”
According to Dustin Sulak, an osteopathic physician interviewed on the topic by “Leafly,” “When you raise the dose ( of cannabis) sometimes you get diminished benefits, and sometimes you get the opposite of what you are looking for.” He noted that while a little cannabis can help reduce anxiety, too much can actually cause it. According to Sulak, patients are now turning to microdosing in order to treat conditions such as depression, stress, anxiety, pain, and to help improve focus and promote sleep. You can learn more by visiting Adam Hoffman’s article on the topic in the “Cannabis 101” section of “Leafly.”
Researching The New “Gray Market”
A growing number of Canadian cannabis companies have recognized the potential of what’s been dubbed the “Gray Market” and have launched research projects to study seniors and how they use cannabis.
Eric Stober, in an article in the May 9, 2019 issue of “GREENCAMP,” reports that licensed producer “Canopy Growth” has initiated a study to track and monitor the effects of medical cannabis as an alternative to other pain medications. The study involves around 500 seniors in facilities across Ontario. It was made possible through a partnership with the Ontario Long Term Care Association (OLTCA) and is believed to be one of the world’s first and largest medical cannabis pilot programs in the long-term care space. As of mid-April of this year, “Canopy Growth” was said to be the world’s largest cannabis company.
“Tilray” is another Canadian company that is studying the effects of cannabis on mature consumers. It has announced a six-month study that will look into the effect of cannabis on sleep, the perception of pain and overall quality of life in patients over 50 years old. The study will begin in Sarnia, Ontario, and then eventually expand to more clinics in British Columbia and New Brunswick, with 600 to 1,000 patients expected to sign up.
Further, the Canadian cannabis company “HEXO” announced that it expects a spike in sales among seniors for edibles once they are legal there in the fall. The manufacturing company is already building strategic partnerships with consumer packaged goods companies ahead of the legalization date.
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at seniorcannabisdigest@gmail.com or by calling 347-528-8753.