Welcome to Senior Cannabis Digest. This week we feature two studies that profile mature consumers and the products they prefer, Israeli research on using CBD to aid in the treatment of COVID-19, tips on making your first trip to a dispensary, and more. Enjoy.
Spotlight On Mature Consumers
Two revealing articles offer an interesting snapshot of what kind of cannabis products mature consumers are using and why. They also provide a surprising profile of who those consumers are.
The first article by Mark Taylor, writing for WeedMaps News, focuses on a study that appeared in the Oxford Academic-published journal Gerontologist. The study was conducted by researchers from the universities of Colorado, Illinois, and Iowa, was funded by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, and collected data on 274 older Coloradans ages 60 to 94.
Taylor reports that the study found that many of the seniors who participated in the survey experience age-related healthcare needs and some of them take cannabis for symptom management, as recommended by medical doctors.
According to Brian Kaskie, Ph.D., a professor of health policy at the University of Iowa who was the principal investigator of the study, he was surprised to learn that the study population “was not who you think.”
Kaskie told Weedmaps News,“When we started this research many of my colleagues suggested that this was just about retired baby boomers entering old age who have come back to cannabis as a way of returning to their youth.” Instead, researchers found that older adults who are using cannabis are not just listening to their Beatles albums, but with advancing age, they are experiencing symptoms and conditions that seem amenable to cannabis.
Said Kaskie, “We had people tell us they spent a day skiing and had inflammation that comes naturally with banging on the slopes and found cannabis helped with the pain in their aging knees and other joints.”
Kaskie also told Taylor what was most surprising to his fellow researchers was finding a large and growing number of “naive users” trying cannabis for the first time.
One such “naive user” profiled by Kaskie was a 90-year-old woman in an assisted-living home who was a self-described “good kid who never did anything illegal.”
But now that her arthritis pain had grown so severe, she was willing to try cannabis. Her grandchildren helped teach her about various kinds of cannabis and ways of consuming it.
Taylor also writes that researchers found that in many cases these “new” users gravitated toward the non-combustible cannabis products , such as gummies and cough drops, and are more likely to use these products because the packaging reinforces their status as medicine.
The second article, by Emma Stone, reporting for Leafly, supports the notion that for many mature consumers, the motivation to try cannabis is, as she puts it, “less about the giggles and more about medicine.”
Stone’s article takes a detailed look at a recent study published in the April 2020 issue of The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. The study, based on the findings of a survey completed by 568 patients at a geriatrics clinic in La Jolla, California, explores the reasons older individuals are turning to cannabis.
Stone writes that Kevin Yang, first author of the study and medical student at the University of California, found that the vast majority of mature consumers were turning to cannabis for medical purposes.
Said Yang, “The most common reasons for cannabis use were for pain, problems sleeping, and anxiety, which is unsurprising given that these are very common symptoms experienced by older adults. We also found that 43 percent reported using cannabis for more than one condition.”
Yang also told Stone that among those who used cannabis to help ease anxiety, “70 percent found that it was extremely or somewhat helpful in soothing their worries.”
According to Stone, Yang’s study also found that in the group he studied, “New users were more likely to use cannabis for medicinal purposes, use it topically as a lotion, rather than ingesting it by smoking or edibles, and inform their doctor about their cannabis use.”
To learn more we urge you to read Mark Taylor’s reporting in the April 30, 2020 issue of WeedMaps News and Emma Stone’s article in the April 27, 2020 issue of Leafly—excellent reporting by both.
www.leafly.com/news/health/grandma-gets-high-why-seniors-are-consuming-cannabis
CBD and COVID-19
So far, the notion that CBD can be a remedy for COVID-19 has been based on false hope. However, that may change in the not too distant future. According to Brendan Bures, writing for The Fresh Toast, Israeli researchers have launched three clinical trials that attempt to use CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties as a potential aid in COVID-19 treatment.
Bures reports that researchers at Tel Aviv University believe CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties can help to repair cells damaged by COVID-19. In the study, scientists will have patients receive CBD-enriched small cell structures called exosomes through an inhalation device. It’s thought CBD can help regulate the body’s immune system and reduce inflammation throughout the body.
Bures also wrote that a second clinical trial has been scheduled that will include 10 Covid-19 patients currently undergoing treatment in Israel’s Rabin Medical Center. In that, study doctors will combine traditional steroids and CBD with the belief that CBD will enhance the therapeutic potential of the steroids.
Stero Biotechs founder and CEO David Bassa said in a statement, “We estimate that our CBD-based treatment can enhance the current treatment of those patients who are in life-threatening conditions. Hospitalized COVID-19 patients are mostly being treated with steroids and our study is planned to demonstrate the benefit of a combined solution with Steroid treatments. We are hopeful that this study will lead to faster benefit for the growing number of COVID-19 patients in Israel and around the world.”
Bures also reported that a third study, launched by Tel Aviv’s Ichilov Medical Center, will investigate whether CBD’s anti-inflammatory properties could lower respiratory symptoms experienced in moderate COVID-19 patients.
In an ensuing article for The Fresh Toast, Bures acknowledged that so far the scientific evidence is mixed when it comes to how CBD affects the immune system. He pointed out that while one study has shown CBD can boost immune systems in HIV/AIDS patients, other research has found CBD more likely to be an immunomodulator—a type of medication that is commonly used to help regulate or normalize the immune system.
In this article NORML Executive Director Erik Altieri told Bures, “If something sounds too good to be true, it likely is. During these difficult times, we encourage people to be skeptical of any unsubstantiated claims, particularly those circulating online, surrounding the use of cannabis or any other uncorroborated treatment for COVID-19.”
To learn more, we suggest you read Brendan Bures’s excellent article in the April 24, 2020 issue of The Fresh Toast. His subsequent article appeared in the April 28, 2020 issue of the same publication.
thefreshtoast.com/cannabis/the-truth-about-cbd-and-covid-19/
Tips for New Consumers
If you are new to the ways of legal cannabis and are about to visit a dispensary for the first time, don’t fret. Lauren Yoshiko, writing for Thrillist, has put together a few tips on how to make that visit as painless and rewarding as possible.
For starters, gone are the days when you have to know a guy who knows a guy who lives in a van down by the river, or, as she puts it, “This isn’t like walking into a liquor store at 21, but it also won’t be anything like exchanging $20 for a ziplock on your former dealer’s couch.”
However, she does contend, “the more fluent you are in the language of dispensaries and the budtenders that run them, the more likely you are to get great service and walk out of there with something that delivers the effects you seek.”
Yoshiko suggests the following:
For starters, make sure you have your state-issued ID and sufficient cash to take care of your transaction. Even in places where medical or recreational cannabis is legal, it’s still a cash business.
Yoshiko also recommends it’s wise to enter a dispensary with a clear idea or ideas of what you’re looking for in terms of the experience the product will provide. How would you like to feel? Or as she puts it, “Do you want to feel happy? Do you want clear-headed focus? Relief for a specific symptom? Something to accompany a particular activity? These kinds of parameters will help you and your budtender navigate the shelves successfully.”
She also points out that it’s helpful to remember that while budtenders aren’t doctors, they are in most cases equipped to answer any questions about what you see on the shelves. Don’t underestimate their insight. This after all is their job, much like a well-trained bartender can help you select a memorable single malt scotch.
Yoshiko also counsels readers that they shouldn’t get seduced by THC percentages. She suggests instead to ask if you can smell the cannabis before you buy it. If you can, look for “a rich, complex fragrance.” She says this is usually an indicator you are likely to purchase a quality product.
Lauren Yoshiko’s entertaining and helpful article appears in the April 24, 2020 issue of Thrillist.
www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/how-to-buy-weed-marijuana-dispensaries-guide
Stats of the Week
Reporting for ESPN, Emily Kaplan took a detailed look at how the drug use policies of the major professional sports leagues are changing. While it’s not likely any mature consumers will be suiting up to play anytime soon, her article does offer an interesting take on how the social landscape is changing, particularly in relation to cannabis.
Said Kaplan, “In January, Illinois became the 11th state to legalize recreational marijuana. Now, of the 123 teams across MLB, the NBA, NHL and NFL, 50 play in states or provinces where recreational marijuana is legal (40.6 percent). Another 51 teams play in jurisdictions where medical marijuana is legal (41.5 percent). That’s 82 percent of teams (101 of 123) that are playing in cities where a player can walk down the street, go into a dispensary, and legally purchase either recreational or medicinal marijuana — just like they were buying a six pack of beer.”
Emily Kaplan’s detailed and insightful article appears in the April 30, 2020 issue of ESPN.com.
www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/29114415/future-marijuana-drug-policy-nfl-pro-sports
CBD and Consumer Safety
It looks like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is taking more aggressive steps to punish companies that are marketing products containing CBD as treatment options for conditions such as cancer and COVID-19 without supporting scientific evidence.
That’s the word from Kyle Jaeger reporting for Marijuana Moment. He reports that the FTC recently sued a wellness company—the California-based Whole Leafs Organic—over unsanctioned medical claims it was making about a line of CBD products and supplements.
According to Jaeger, the FTC said the company claimed in advertising that its “Thrive” nutritional supplement—which consists largely of vitamin C—could treat or reduce the risk of contracting the novel coronavirus. The company also sold three types of CBD products that it said could target and eliminate cancer cells.
For instance, in its advertising the company stated, “The most effective innovation in cancer and immune related proactive supplement support in the past ten years. CBD-EX combines the best in cancer fighting elements, into one simple capsule.”
But FTC Bureau of Consumer Protection Director Andrew Smith said in a press release that there’s “no proof that any product will prevent or treat COVID-19 or that any CBD product will treat cancer.”
In his article Jaeger wrote that the owner of Whole Leafs Organic, Marc Ching, has agreed to a preliminary injunction order barring his company from making claims that the products can treat either COVID-19 or cancer. He had previously received a warning letter from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over his CBD products. A hearing in this matter is set for January 2021.
Jaeger noted that in addition to the complaint filed in federal court, the FTC also unanimously approved a parallel administrative complaint asserting the same claims.This represents a departure from previous enforcement activity within FTC or FDA. In the past both have simply sent warning letters to various businesses that market products as effective treatment options for coronavirus and other conditions.
To learn more about steps the FTC is taking to protect consumers of CBD products, read Kyle Jaeger’s article in the April 30, 2020 issue of Marijuana Moment.
www.marijuanamoment.net/feds-sue-company-over-claims-its-cbd-products-can-treat-cancer/
Senior Cannabis Digest is compiled and edited by Joe Kohut and John Kohut. You can reach them at joe.kohut@gmail.com or 347-528-8753.
